The Los Angeles Lakers surprised a lot of people on Wednesday night with their 17th pick in the NBA draft.
Few people saw it coming but the Lakers were able to get former Tennesse player Dalton Knecht.
On Thursday’s “Undisputed,” Skip Bayless spoke about Knecht and what a great signing he is.
He said that Knecht might be a little older than some rookies but he’s ready to play right away and that other teams messed up by not acquiring him before Los Angeles did.
“It felt like JJ Redick’s team drafted JJ Redick.”@RealSkipBayless approves the Lakers drafting Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht at No. 17 pic.twitter.com/0FfpxiWlCl
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) June 27, 2024
Knecht was the SEC Player of the Year who many people envisioned as a top ten pick.
Few analysts predicted that he’d be falling out of the top ten recruits but when he did, the Lakers jumped at the chance to sign him.
Knecht is considered a big-time scorer and shot-maker, someone who handles the ball excellently and is also quite large but fast for his position.
He may not be a starter right away but he definitely has the sort of promise that could make him part of the starting five in time.
Many people thought he’d go for a different team but now he will be spending his time in Los Angeles, under head coach JJ Redick.
Ironically, Bayless compared Knecht to Redick, noting that they had similar styles in college and now they’ll be working together with the Lakers.
The Lakers weren’t expected to have a great draft night and most attention was focused on their pursuit of Bronny James, who will possibly be picked in night two.
But they impressed everyone with this great signing and now the future looks a little brighter in Los Angeles.
NEXT:
Analyst Reveals When It’s Likely That Bronny James Will Be Drafted