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 choose in Wednesday’s NBA draft, the primary consensus All-American drafted by L.A. since takingLonzo BallNo. 2 in 2017.

“In my thoughts, there isn’t a approach a participant like this can be obtainable for us to choose on draft evening,” stated Lakers vp of basketball operations and normal supervisor Rob Pelinka. “Throughout the board, simply could not be happier.”

Knecht, 23, averaged 21.7 factors on 49.9% capturing (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 Large Sky Convention. The 6-foot-5, 212-pound wing led Tennessee to the Elite Eight within the NCAA match in March, scoring 37 factors in an elimination loss to No. 1-seededPurdue.

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

“If we’d have had the tenth choose within the draft, we’d have taken him,” Pelinka stated. “So, to get that worth at 17 is de facto extraordinary.”

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

“Each time I contact a basketball or stroll right into a gymnasium, I all the time really feel like I bought one thing to show; and it does not matter the place I am at, it is all the time 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 Heart after being drafted. “So, it should be one thing that I will carry with me for the remainder of my profession.”

The Knecht choice marks the primary main resolution 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 keeping with Pelinka, instantly began drawing up performs to run for Knecht on the whiteboard within the Lakers’ draft room after the staff known as in its choose to the league.

“That is actually thrilling,” Knecht instructed reporters when knowledgeable of Redick’s response. “At Tennessee, I watched a whole lot 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 should be actual particular.”

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

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

Knecht stated he nearly did not imagine 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 faux 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 mother and father, they known as me immediately and instructed me about it.

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

Whereas Pelinka actually was happy with how the evening went for his staff, 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 yr’s at No. 17, obtainable to incorporate in any potential deal.

“We explored each improve we might to make our staff higher,” Pelinka stated. “I do suppose when you polled all 30 GMs throughout the league, simply usually, trades have turn into 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 below the previous system. Nevertheless it did not maintain us from making an attempt to take a look at all the pieces and methods to place ourselves in methods to be in place to be higher. However even this choose alone I really feel like provides us an enormous enhance, and we’re enthusiastic about it.”

The second spherical of the draft can be held Thursday. The Lakers personal choose No. 55.