4 Summer League invites who have a realistic shot to crack the rotation
Dalton Knecht
Los Angeles Lakers fans are rightfully intrigued by what Dalton Knecht could bring to the table as soon as his rookie season. The reigning SEC Player of the Year has been heralded as the biggest steal of the 2024 NBA Draft after he unexpectedly fell to the Lakers at No. 17 overall.
It's difficult to project how a rookie might fit into the rotation, but it stands to reason that Knecht will have ample opportunity to establish himself in 2024-25.
Knecht looked solid at the California Classic, posting 20 points, nine rebounds, and three offensive boards in the third and final game. It was the first game that he'd played since dropping 37 points on the Purdue Boilermakers in the Elite Eight at the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
In terms of how that might translate to the highest level, Knecht will be joining a team that's desperate for offense from its second unit, which ranked No. 28 in scoring offense in 2023-24.
Knecht is more of a scorer than a pure shooter, but he shot 38.3 percent during his NCAA career and 39.7 percent in 2023-24 from beyond the arc. That shooting proficiency should help him earn early minutes, and his overall scoring instincts could yield itself to his emergence as the sixth man.
A true three-level scorer with size, athleticism, and toughness on his side, Knecht has the talent to emerge as the first player off the bench as soon as his rookie season.
It doesn't hurt that LeBron James has praised Knecht as a potential impact player.