Dalton Knecht has taken the NBA by storm, especially lighting it up from behind the arc. Finding a perfect role on the Los Angeles Lakers, Knecht is staking a claim for the Rookie of the Year award early in the season. That’s the sort of impact he’s having. Already described by his coach, JJ Redick, as being in the top “1% of shooters”, Knecht is averaging 11.6 points on shooting splits of 47.6/41.0/77.3. He’s become so valuable to the Lakers that he is now in the starting lineup. However, Dalton Knecht wasn’t even supposed to be available for the Lakers to draft in the first place.
How The Pelicans And Honesty Allowed Lakers To Draft Dalton Knecht
A Long-Standing Problem Finally Solved
How did the Lakers luck out at pick 17 and draft the answer to a very specific problem? For the past three years, the Lakers have pursued a laser-shooting sidekick for LeBron James. This would allow the team to prioritize other ways to round out the roster as trade season approaches. After all, as long as LeBron is on the team, their championship window is always open.
“We, as a front office, have sort of chased in theory the exact player he is, a movement shooter,” Lakers Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka told ESPN.
“And then not only is he a movement shooter, but a movement shooter with athleticism, which is a really unique combination.”
The Unlikely Journey to Pick 17
Exactly how did this solution fall into their laps? According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, Pelinka initially believed the Lakers had no chance at drafting Knecht.
“I was like, ‘Yeah, Dalton. There’s no way. He’s a top-five pick. I am not going to spend all my time there.’”
The Lakers faced uncertainty about their first-round pick in June. The New Orleans Pelicans controlled its rights as part of the Anthony Davis trade five years ago. The Pelicans could defer the pick to 2025. At the time, the Lakers were stuck in mediocrity, struggling in the Western Conference and at risk of missing the playoffs. However, their performance wasn’t poor enough to secure a high lottery pick for a prospect like Knecht.
Serendipity Strikes
For miracles to happen, multiple things must align perfectly. First, the Pelicans decided to defer their pick, finding the 2025 draft class deeper and more attractive.
It’s noteworthy that Dalton Knecht never worked out with the Lakers during the draft process. His agency, Excel Sports Management, prioritized him working out with teams selecting higher. So how did teams pass on Knecht despite knowing his talent? Honesty. Knecht’s brutal honesty during interviews apparently worked to his detriment.
Teams evaluate players from every angle, even considering seemingly unrelated factors like hobbies. Knecht, however, didn’t care about such things.
“He’s focused on basketball,” Polinsky, a Tennessee Volunteers assistant coach, said. “If you think he is going to woo you with his worldly nature or talk about how he speaks three languages, think again. He doesn’t care about that. DK, he’s a baller, simply stated.”
“I guess some team asked him if he liked to read, and he told them no,” Clark (a Volunteers assistant coach) ESPN. “And I’m like, what does that have to do with playing basketball? All he’s doing is just being himself and telling the truth, like, ‘No, I don’t like to read.’ Which, I’m pretty sure there’s a lot of people that don’t like to read.”
Additionally, Knecht’s age—23 years old after spending five years in college—contributed to his freefall on draft night.
The Lakers’ Decision
When Knecht kept dropping in the draft, Rob Pelinka called Excel Sports Management, trying to uncover any potential red flags.
“It was like, ‘You’re giving me your word?’” Pelinka told ESPN. “I had to do a trust call of, ‘There’s no red flags, right? You’re giving us your word.’ And that’s when it started to unfold.”
By 10 p.m., the Lakers had their guy. Heading into draft night, all Lakers scouts had Knecht in their top 10. They were ecstatic to draft him, with high-fives all around in the draft war room—a rare occurrence.
Knecht summed it up perfectly:
“Teams passed up on me, and the Lakers thought they got the steal of the draft,” Knecht said.
“And they did.”
The Lakers Drafted Dalton Knecht Due To The Pelicans and His Honesty
The Lakers’ selection of Dalton Knecht underscores the complexities of the NBA draft process. It’s a reminder of how seemingly unrelated factors—like a player’s honesty in interviews or a rival team’s strategic decision—can dramatically shape outcomes. For the Lakers, it was a rare moment of serendipity that solved a long-standing roster need.
In Knecht, they may have found their own version of Klay Thompson, a player they unsuccessfully pursued last summer. The Lakers selected a sharpshooting gem who could define their future as they continue their championship chase with LeBron.
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