Lakers thrilled with Dalton Knecht pick: ‘Extraordinary’ value

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — The Los Angeles Lakers chosen Dalton Knecht out of Tennessee with the No. 17 decide in Wednesday’s NBA draft, the primary consensus All-American drafted by L.A. since takingLonzo BallNo. 2 in 2017.

“In my thoughts, there is no such thing as a approach a participant like this will probably be accessible for us to choose on draft evening,” stated Lakers vice chairman of basketball operations and basic supervisor Rob Pelinka. “Throughout the board, simply could not be happier.”

Knecht, 23, averaged 21.7 factors on 49.9% taking pictures (39.7% from 3) in his lone season with the Volunteers after starting his collegiate profession at Northeastern Junior Faculty in Colorado then enjoying two seasons forNorthern Coloradoin the Huge Sky Convention. The 6-foot-5, 212-pound wing led Tennessee to the Elite Eight within the NCAA event in March, scoring 37 factors in an elimination loss to No. 1-seededPurdue.

The SEC participant of the 12 months was slated to go No. 6 to the Charlotte Hornets in ESPN’s mock draft revealed simply earlier than the primary spherical, and Pelinka stated the Lakers had been shocked Knecht was accessible after their inside draft board ranked him within the prime 10.

“If we might have had the tenth decide within the draft, we might have taken him,” Pelinka stated. “So, to get that worth at 17 is actually extraordinary.”

Knecht stated his draft evening fall mirrored his basketball upbringing. As a highschool senior, he didn’t subject a single Division I scholarship provide.

“Each time I contact a basketball or stroll right into a gymnasium, I at all times really feel like I received one thing to show; and it does not matter the place I am at, it is at all times going to be there and have that chip on my shoulder for feeling like I have been underrated my complete life,” Knecht instructed reporters at New York’s Barclays Middle after being drafted. “So, it will be one thing that I will carry with me for the remainder of my profession.”

The Knecht choice marks the primary main determination for the Lakers franchise since JJ Redick was employed as its new coach. Pelinka stated that Knecht’s skills as a motion shooter reminds him of Redick as a participant.

Redick, in line with Pelinka, instantly began drawing up performs to run for Knecht on the whiteboard within the Lakers’ draft room after the workforce known as in its decide to the league.

“That is actually thrilling,” Knecht instructed reporters when knowledgeable of Redick’s response. “At Tennessee, I watched lots of JJ Redick with Coach [Rick] Barnes and simply the best way he strikes and paces himself and was capable of create house. So, listening to that, it is actually thrilling, and it will be actual particular.”

Lakers star LeBron James gave Knecht a shoutout whereas discussing the rising reputation of ladies’s school basketball in early April after L.A. performed on the Washington Wizards a couple of days after Tennessee’s event run had ended.

“We watched that Purdue-Tennessee recreation as a result of ofZach Edeyand Knecht,” James stated on the time. “Gamers, relying on who they’re, will drive the eye on the subject of viewership.”

Knecht stated he nearly did not consider what James stated was actual when he first noticed the video.

“I keep in mind that clip,” Knecht instructed reporters. “I wakened and rolled off the bed and I assumed it was pretend as a result of tons of individuals had been texting me. I used to be similar to, ‘There is no approach.’ And after I watched that video, it simply introduced a smile to my face. And in addition my dad and mom, they known as me straight away and instructed me about it.

“So, that is simply going to be particular. And it will be enjoyable simply to be sharing that court docket with each of them, [Anthony Davis] and Bron. Bron’s one of many biggest. So, it will be actual particular.”

Whereas Pelinka definitely was happy with how the evening went for his workforce, he admitted L.A. had canvassed the league for trades main as much as Wednesday, however to no avail. The Lakers had three first-round draft picks, together with this 12 months’s at No. 17, accessible to incorporate in any potential deal.

“We explored each improve we may to make our workforce higher,” Redick stated. “I do assume for those who polled all 30 GMs throughout the league, simply on the whole, trades have grow to be tougher due to the brand new CBA system. And so, there’s much less entry, I believe, to creating these large strikes than possibly there was underneath the outdated system. Nevertheless it did not preserve us from attempting to have a look at all the things and methods to place ourselves in methods to be in place to be higher. However even this decide alone I really feel like offers us an enormous increase, and we’re enthusiastic about it.”

The second spherical of the draft will probably be held Thursday. The Lakers personal decide No. 55.