Former Mavericks Player Heap Praises on Lakers’ Rookie Dalton Knecht by Claiming Him as ‘Steal of the Draft’

Dalton Knecht (Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Lakers stirred controversy by picking LeBron James’ son, Bronny James, in the 2024 NBA Draft. Nevertheless, before Bronny’s pick, the Lakers gained a bunch of support and admiration for taking Dalton Knecht as the No. 17 overall pick. Apart from Stephen A. Smith, former NBA player Theo Pinson also loved this Lakers move.

During the latest episode of Tidal’s Run Your Race podcast, the former Mavericks star mentioned the draft of Knecht as the best steal of this year’s draft.

“The steal of the draft? [Dalton] Knecht. I would’ve taken him first pick. He’s a dog, bro. He can play and he’s got bounce,” Pinson said.

Knecht was expected to be a top-10 pick or at least a lottery selection, but he had to wait till the Lakers called his name. Pinson believes that the rookie has the potential to be the first pick.

“I would have took him first pick, but you know how everybody else is—he’s too old, all this sh*t. He was the best player in the draft,” Pinson added.

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Raymond Felton Praises Dalton Knecht’s Readiness to Shine

Former Denver Nuggets star Raymond Felton also shared high hopes for Dalton Knecht on Tidal’s Run Your Race podcast.

“He’s a bucket. He’s too old, who cares? He’s going to come right here, ready to play. He could play right now. Step out, see him this year, he can play right now,” Felton said.

Knecht has honed his 3-point shooting prowess over the past 15 years by establishing himself as a reliable sharpshooter. Despite not undergoing a pre-draft workout with the Lakers, the team has unwavering confidence in Knecht’s abilities.

Meanwhile, the Lakers’ newly appointed head coach, JJ Redick, has been devising strategies to integrate their rookie into their offensive schemes to capitalize on his exceptional shooting skills.