Dalton Knecht is navigating his rookie season in the NBA after being selected 17th overall in the first round of the 2024 Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. From the outset, Knecht was seen as a promising addition, with the Lakers holding high expectations for the scoring guard. Amid his adjustment to the league, the rookie shared the best piece of advice he’s received from a teammate—and it didn’t come from LeBron James.
Knecht made waves during his time at the University of Tennessee, where he averaged an impressive 21.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists across 36 starts in his lone season of college basketball. His collegiate success fueled optimism about his potential in the NBA. While he’s shown flashes of the talent required to stay in the league, Knecht has yet to fully showcase his ceiling.
During his first All-Star weekend, where he participated in the Rising Stars Challenge, Knecht revealed that former teammate D’Angelo Russell provided him with the most impactful advice.
“I’d say DLo,” Knecht admitted. “He gave me the best advice. Right after a game, justmoveon. Don’t care about how you did—just move on because you have the next game coming towards you. So, at the end of the day, no matter how high or low that game was, you gotta move on, be ready to play the next one, and get better”.
Knecht on facing LeBron James in the All-Star Game
The Rising Stars team, coached by Chris Mullin, earned a unique opportunity to compete in the All-Star Game after winning the Rising Stars Challenge. They’ll face off against Shaquille O’Neal’s team, which features Knecht’s Lakers teammate and leader, LeBron James.
“Yeah, about to play my first All-Star Game—that’s crazy, as a rookie,” Knecht said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun. We’re going to try to go out there, put on a show, and make it competitive for sure. We’re going to try to get that win”.
“It might be a lot of fun,” Knecht added. “Us young guys, we’re going to go out there and go against those guys. I’m playing against Bron, so I get to go against one of my teammates. It’ll be a lot of fun to go out there and try to make a statement”.
Knecht reflects on his trade drama
Knecht recently experienced a whirlwind few days after being included in a trade to the Charlotte Hornets alongside Cam Reddish in exchange for Mark Williams—a deal that ultimately fell through. The rookie returned to the Lakers and admitted the experience was unusual.
“Like you said, it’s strange—one of the few people that’s ever gotten traded and then come back,” Knecht acknowledged. “So, it’s been a crazy journey. Just glad to be back and be a part of the team”.
Knecht also expressed excitement about the chance to learn from new Lakers acquisition Luka Doncic. “Get to learn from Luka now,” he said. “I had AD and Bron, now with Luka and Bron—it’s crazy. I get to learn from a lot of greats”.