For the Los Angeles Lakers, Dalton Knecht coming out of the lottery and landing in their lap at No. 17 is a dream come true.
Things are improving for the Purple and Gold after a challenging start to the summer. JJ Redick was the team’s next hire as coach, and they also added an intriguing new player.
Knecht might be the man Los Angeles has been waiting for. With an average of 21.7 points and a three-point shooting percentage of 39.7% for the Tennessee Volunteers in the previous season, the 6-foot-5 guard is a proven scorer. While Knecht’s age of 23 was a major turnoff for lottery teams, the Lakers benefit from Knecht’s expertise.
Knecht is a promising player who should be able to join the Lakers right away and make an instant impact on a squad that is desperate to win. The Lakers will undoubtedly gain from Knecht’s ability to score from practically anywhere on the court. His efforts from beyond the arc will also be beneficial to the Lakers, who require more outside shooting.
The Lakers may be able to upgrade other areas of the roster and free up cap money with Knecht’s addition.
If the Lakers want to compete, they must acquire quality as quickly as possible, ideally in the shape of a third star to share the load with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. In light of this, Austin Reaves might beFor the past three seasons, Reaves has been a reliable player for the Lakers. This past season, he recorded a career-high 15.9 points per game, 5.5 assists, and 4.3 rebounds.
Aside from James and Davis, Reaves has become the Lakers’ most valued asset because to his efforts. Rumors had it earlier in the season that the Lakers’ refusal to include Reaves in a possible trade for Dejounte Murray caused the deal to fall through. The Lakers might now get a chance to go back and review this.
Knecht’s background provides the Lakers with a solid backup option in the event that they decide to move Reaves.
Reaves is currently in the second year of a $56 million, four-year contract; moving him would give the Lakers a lot more flexibility to The Lakers’ playmaking and perimeter defense might be significantly improved if they can go back and get a player like Murray in exchange for Reaves. This move is not exclusive to Murray; trade rumors have also mentioned players like Trae Young.
All of this would rely on how much the Lakers trust Knecht to take on a big role soon, but the change has undoubtedly given the team more chances to get better.
Be the first to comment