Lakers Land Dream LeBron & Anthony Davis Complement in NBA Draft

The Lakers landed one of the steals of the night, landing Tennessee star guard Dalton Knecht at pick No. 17. Perhaps the most developed scorer in the entire draft class, Knecht can immediately contribute to a Los Angeles team with championship aspirations.

Widely expected to go in the top 10 or higher, Knecht is the reigning SEC Player of the Year. He's an older prospect and while that's a discouraging factor to some teams, the Lakers need to maximize a shrinking window.

Instead of taking someone who needs time to develop or even trading the pick away, Rob Pelinka landed the most NBA-ready player coming out.

Lakers Land NBA Draft Steal With Tennessee G Dalton Knecht

Despite only playing at Tennessee for one season, Knecht left his mark and exploded up draft boards. He averaged 21.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game while shooting 45.8% from the field and 39.7% from beyond the arc.

Knecht can score at all three levels. At 6'6", he's got enough size to be a disruptor defensively, though playing alongside Anthony Davis will obviously help.

Similar to Austin Reaves, Knecht is a smart cutter who will take advantage of LeBron James' playmaking ability and vision. It's always a good idea to surround LeBron with shooters and Knecht was one of the best shooters in the class. From how things looked entering the night, Knecht was a best-case scenario for Lakers fans.

His long-term ceiling isn't as high as other prospects, but Knecht's floor is. He'll be a valuable role player and help Los Angeles win quickly, which is all you can ask for at pick No. 17.

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