The Los Angeles Lakers are in a unique position when it comes to roster construction and salary cap navigation. The Lakers are dangerous close to the second apron, with two superstars on massive contracts, but also have some of the better bargain contracts in the NBA.
That should make Los Angeles a contender on paper, but coming off of a 47-win season and a first-round exit, some have justifiably questioned if Rob Pelinka has built a strong enough team.
One of the primary reasons to be optimistic about the Lakers' future is the fact that Pelinka has hit the mark on several key contracts. Anthony Davis and LeBron James will make just under $92 million combined this coming season, and Los Angeles has somehow managed to surround them with quality.
That includes appropriately paid players such as Rui Hachimura at $17 million and D'Angelo Russell at an expiring $18,692,307—both of which are tradeable contracts, if need be.
In some cases, the Lakers have done better than paying players an ideal figure—they've gotten away with borderline contract theft. In some scenarios, those players fell into their laps. In others, it was responsible team-building that could pay dividends in 2024-25.
In either scenario, there are three particularly underpaid players on the roster who should turn heads at bargain prices during the 2024-25 campaign.
3. Dalton Knecht
This might be a reach given the fact that Dalton Knecht is a rookie, but it's still unfathomable that he fell to No. 17 overall. Yes, he's a 23-year-old incoming player, but he's also the reigning SEC Player of the Year and one of the best shooters in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Rather than making upwards of $4.5 million as a rookie as the top 10 pick that most projected him to be, Knecht will make just $3,182,600 in 2024-25.
It's obviously hard to count dollars on a rookie's contract, especially when they haven't yet played an NBA game. The value-to-dollar comparison, however, is undeniable when one considers how much a player with Knecht's skill set typically costs.
Luke Kennard, for instance, just re-signed with the Memphis Grizzlies on a one-year, $11 million contract to play a similar role to what Knecht will be tasked with in 2024-25.
Another comparison would be Doug McDermott, who just completed the final season of his three-year, $41.25 million deal. While Kennard and McDermott are spot-up shooters, Knecht adds upside as a shot creator and isolation scorer, as well.
It's too soon to know what Knecht will actually bring to the court, but he's underpaid as a rookie and, in a few short months, could prove that he's underpaid overall.