Knecht's three-level scoring at Tennessee was on full display in 2023-24 and propelled him up draft boards. The Lakers used the No. 17 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft on Knecht, who's projected to compete for rotation minutes as a rookie. Los Angeles is essentially running it back with LeBron James and Anthony Davis at the helm. However, depth was a major concern last season, opening up an opportunity for Knecht. Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and D'Angelo Russell should round out the starting five on Opening Night, and Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt should have reserve roles after missing most of last season. That leaves Knecht to compete with Cam Reddish, Max Christie and fellow rookie Bronny James for second-unit wing minutes. Read Past Outlooks
$Signed a two-year, $7.83 million contract with the Lakers in July of 2024. Contract includes $4.2 million team option for 2026-27.
Personal Bio/PreCareer Summary
Knecht was born in Fargo, North Dakota but grew up in Thornton, Colorado, where he attended Prairie View High School. While Knecht averaged 21.0 points and 6.5 rebounds as a senior, he was only 6-foot-1 at the time and did not receive any Division I offers. Knecht opted to begin his college career at Northeastern Junior College, where he grew an additional five inches over two years. In 2021, Knecht transferred to Northern Colorado, spending two seasons with the Bears before committing to Tennessee for his fifth and final year of eligibility. While Knecht established himself as a big-time scorer at Northern Colorado, he truly burst onto the scene in the SEC, bringing home conference Player of the Year honors and finishing the 2023-24 season as a consensus All-American. Across 36 games (30.6 MPG), Knecht posted 21.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 2.6 3s per game while shooting 45.8% from the field and 39.7% from deep. Knecht is one of the more unique and polished players in the 2024 draft class, though at age 23 there's a chance that teams could view him as a relatively low-ceiling prospect. Still, Knecht has excellent size and is comfortable handling the ball, shooting off the catch and pulling up off the dribble from well beyond the 3-point line. Knecht's confidence and seemingly unlimited range are what make him such a dangerous offensive player. He's not overly quick or athletic, but defenders are forced to respect his ability to pull up at a moment's notice. Knecht had 11 games with at least four made 3s last season, including a 6-for-12 performance in the Vols' Elite 8 loss to Purdue. The 6-foot-6 wing tends to run hot and cold, but when he's locked in, he's one of the most difficult players in the country to stop. Defensively, Knecht will almost certainly be a liability at the NBA level. Improving his quickness and positioning will be key points of emphasis. Even so, he's a heady player on both ends, so the hope is that his instincts and IQ help offset some of the physical limitations. Knecht profiles as a potential lottery pick in a 2024 Draft class littered with uncertainty. Unlike many players who may come off the board before him, Knecht should be the type of prospect who could contribute to a playoff-caliber team right away. He may have to learn the ropes of settling in as a role player in the NBA, however, after often operating as a one-man show at Northern Colorado and Tennessee. Long-term, Knecht's handle and finishing ability should allow him to be much more than a spot-up 3-point shooter. He's able to consistently work his way into the lane, absorb contact and maintain plus touch around the rim with both hands. The question is whether he'll be given the license to do so early in his career.
Efficient in limited run
FLos Angeles Lakers
March 23, 2025
Knecht amassed six points (2-4 FG, 2-3 3Pt), one rebound, one assist and one steal in seven minutes during Saturday's 146-115 loss to the Bulls.
ANALYSIS Knecht was efficient during his extremely limited run in garbage time of a blowout loss. The rookie has received increased playing time of late due to LeBron James (groin) and Rui Hachimura (knee) being sidelined, though with both of them returning to action Saturday, Knecht could continue to receive fewer minutes moving forward.
2024 NBA Per Game Split Stats - Starting/Off Bench
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2024 NBA Per Game Split Stats - Days Rest
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2024 NBA Per Game Split Stats - Vs Opp
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2024 NBA Per Game Split Stats - By Result
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2024
Stat Review
How does Dalton Knecht compare to other players?
This section compares his stats with all players from the previous three seasons (minimum 200 minutes played)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.
True Shooting %
An advanced statistic that measures a player's efficiency at shooting the ball that takes field goal percentage, free throw percentage, and three point percentage into account.
Effective Field Goal %
A statistic that adjusts field goal percentage to account for the fact that three-point field goals count for three points while field goals only count for two points.
3-Point Attempt Rate
Percentage of field goal attempts from three point range.
Free Throw Rate
Number of free throw attempts per field goal attempt.
Offensive Rebound %
An estimate of the percentage of available offensive rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
Defensive Rebound %
An estimate of the percentage of available defensive rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
Total Rebound %
An estimate of the percentage of available rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
Assist %
An estimate of the percentage of teammate field goals a player assisted while they were on the floor.
Steal %
An estimate of the percentage of opponent possessions that end with a steal by the player while they were on the floor.
Block %
An estimate of the percentage of opponent two-point field goal attempts blocked by the player while they were on the floor.
Turnover %
An estimate of turnovers committed per 100 plays.
Usage %
An estimate of the percentage of team plays used by a player while they were on the floor.
Fantasy Points Per Game
NBA Fantasy Points Per Game.
Fantasy Points Per Minute
NBA Fantasy Points Per Minute.
True Shooting %
59.2%
Effective Field Goal %
57.4%
3-Point Attempt Rate
61.5%
Free Throw Rate
15.5%
Offensive Rebound %
2.7%
Defensive Rebound %
13.2%
Total Rebound %
8.1%
Assist %
6.9%
Steal %
0.7%
Block %
0.4%
Turnover %
5.2%
Usage %
18.2%
Fantasy Points Per Game
14.6
Fantasy Points Per Minute
0.7
Total
Per Game
Per 36
NBA Historical Fantasy Stats
How are these ratings calculated?
Our historical fantasy ratings are standard scores calculated using 8-Category settings with 12 teams and 13 players per team.
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NBA Per Game Historical Fantasy Stats
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NBA Per 36 Historical Fantasy Stats
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Historical ADP
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Lakers Depth Chart
Our full team depth charts are reserved for RotoWire subscribers.
Average Fantasy Points are determined when Dalton Knecht was active vs. non-active during the season. Click here to view average fantasy points for a different time period.
Minutes
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo
FantasyDraft
Head2Head
Sorare
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Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Dalton Knecht See More
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ANALYSIS Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Hits for 17 in spot start
FLos Angeles Lakers
March 21, 2025
Knecht amassed 17 points (5-14 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 4-5 FT), four rebounds, three assists and one steal across 31 minutes during Thursday's 118-89 loss to the Bucks.
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Keeps producing off bench
FLos Angeles Lakers
March 18, 2025
Knecht had 13 points (4-10 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 3-4 FT), three rebounds, three assists and one block across 20 minutes during Monday's 125-109 win over San Antonio.
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Named to Rising Stars
FLos Angeles Lakers
January 29, 2025
The NBA announced Tuesday that Knecht was selected to the Rising Stars Game.
ANALYSIS The No. 17 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Knecht has managed to carve out a decent-sized role with the Lakers. He's appeared in 45 games so far with an average of 20.9 minutes per contest, averaging 9.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 1.6 three-pointers while shooting 36.1 percent from beyond the arc.