The Los Angeles Lakers took on the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday in NBA Summer League action. Rookie Dalton Knecht got the night off, and while speaking with ESPN's Jorge Sedano, outlined some lofty goals for his NBA career.
Asked Sedano, “I want you to think 10 years down the road: You're a 10-year vet… Where do you want to be in your career?”
Knecht responded, “I want to be the best player in the league, [be an] All-Star… [and] get some championships.”
Normally, NBA rookies are simply looking to prove to themselves and others that they belong in the league. Some are looking to become stars. But a select handful have their sights set higher than that.
Knecht was the No. 17 pick in this year's draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. Many expected him to be a top-10 pick and have called him arguably the most NBA-ready player in this year's rookie class, which has led many to believe the Lakers got a big steal.
Knecht wasn't just a sharpshooter deluxe at the University of Tennessee. The 6-foot-5 wing also showed some ability to attack the paint off the dribble, both in transition and in the halfcourt, and he also has a robust 39-inch vertical leap and a 6-foot-9 wingspan.
Lakers' Dalton Knecht gets ‘steal of the draft' label
Knecht is a 6-foot-6 wing who can fill it up. Last season, he averaged 21.7 points per game and shot 39.9% from deep. Yes, he is 23 years old, so his ceiling may not be as high as some of the teenagers drafted on Wednesday, but he should come into the league and contribute immediately.
The fall cost Dalton Knecht some money, for sure, but landing with JJ Redick, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the Lakers is an amazing fit.
With Davis behind him, Knecht’s defensive liabilities aren’t as pronounced. And with LeBron being LeBron, the sharpshooter can focus on scoring from deep. Also, while we don’t know what Redick will be as a coach, we do know he was a great shooter and should have a connection with Knecht right away.
A lot was made about the Lakers trading this pick for a veteran star, but now that they got an NBA draft first-round steal in Dalton Knecht, those whispers are probably over.
Former NBA player Theo Pinson believes that the Lakers got a draft day steal.
“The steal of the draft? Oh, Lakers’ Knecht, from Tennessee.” Pinson said on his To the Baha podcast with Raymond Felton. “He’s a bucket. I would’ve taken him first pick, but you know how everybody else is. ‘He’s too old,’ and all this s**t. He’s the best player in the draft. He’s a dog, bro. He can play and he’s got bounce. He’ll punch on you, too. They talk about, they don’t know if he can guard. I’m like, bro, who can guard?”
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