Lakers GM Thinks Other Teams Dropped the Ball in Draft
The Los Angeles Lakers have begun reshaping the organization with a pressure-filled 2024-25 season on the way.
J.J. Redick is now the new head coach for the Lakers and he's tasked with getting this team to produce at the highest level. Although Los Angeles has some work to do to improve the roster, they got off to a great start.
The first round of the 2024 NBA Draft took place on June 26th and the Lakers got some great value with their 17th overall pick. They were thrilled and Rob Pelinka talked about it when speaking with the media in a post-draft presser.
Rob Pelinka on Dalton Knecht: “We would have never imagined a player as skilled and perfect for our needs would be there [at 17].” Pelinka added that LAL had Knecht ranked in its top 10 on their draft board. pic.twitter.com/Ax1ieyWjLO
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) June 27, 2024
Lakers News: Los Angeles Didn't Think Dalton Knecht Would Be Available
ESPN's Dave McMenamin was at the press conference and Pelinka expressed his excitement with the team's pick.
"We would have never imagined a player as skilled and perfect for our needs would be there [at 17]."
- Rob Pelinka
Tennessee's Dalton Knecht is a perfect fit for what the Lakers need. He's a 6-foot-6 forward who can score from all three levels on the floor with ease. Knecht can explode to the rim and finishes with force at the rack.
Last year, he averaged 21.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and shot 39.7% from beyond the arc. In addition, he won the 2024 SEC Player of the Year award.
Heading into the draft, Knecht was expected to go as high as No. 6 overall to the Charlotte Hornets but it's been reported that he fell down the board due to executives being concerned with his age.
Knecht just turned 23 in April but that won't be a problem in LA. He'll surely make an impact for the purple and gold this season.
More Lakers news and rumors:
feed