Charles Barkley has nothing but praise for this Lakers offseason move
Dalton Knecht is already making headlines in the NBA, and for all the right reasons. TNT analyst and basketball legend Charles Barkley didn't hold back his opinion on the 16 teams that passed on Knecht in the 2024 NBA Draft.
“These NBA general managers don’t have any idea what they’re doing,” Barkley said. “Letting the Lakers get Dalton Knecht was one of the stupidest things I’ve ever seen. That’s a bad boy right there. Dalton Knecht. Remember that name, y’all.”
Projected as a top-10 pick, the 23-year-old out of Tennessee surprisingly slid down the draft board, landing at 17th overall with the Los Angeles Lakers. Knecht entered the draft as a high-volume 3-point shooter, hitting 39.7 percent from beyond the arc in college. With a 6-foot-6 frame and an average of 21.7 points per game, he’s poised to be a valuable asset for the Lakers — a team that finished 24th in made 3-pointers last season.
Dalton Knecht is going to be a special piece for the Lakers
Lakers head coach and fellow sharpshooter JJ Redick has already started designing plays to leverage Knecht’s shooting ability. In preseason, Knecht led all rookies in scoring with 18.0 points per game, including a standout 35-point performance in a 128-122 win against the Phoenix Suns, where he nailed eight 3s.
In his NBA debut against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Knecht logged 5 points and 2 assists in 16 minutes. The Lakers struggled overall from 3-point range, shooting just 12.5 percent with only five made 3s, but Knecht provided a highlight with a top-of-the-key three early in the second quarter. With 81 regular-season games left, he has plenty of time to settle into a significant role off the bench and make his mark in the league.
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