Magic Johnson Makes Thoughts On Lakers First-Round Pick Extremely Clear

Lakers first-round pick Dalton Knecht received a ringing endorsement from franchise icon Magic Johnson on Thursday.

The NBA Hall-of-Famer posted a message on social media praising the selection.

"I love it!" he exclaimed.

"Dalton is just what the Lakers need, a deadly 3-point shooter/scorer who is physically tough and has swag," the three-time Finals and league MVP continued.

In 2023-24, Knecht transferred to Tennessee, where the 6-foot-5 guard averaged 21.7 points while shooting 45.8 percent, including 39.7 percent from deep.

On March 11, he was named SEC Player of the Year.

Knecht led the Vols to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, where they lost to national runner-up Purdue, 72-66 .

Knecht, who began his collegiate career in junior college before transferring to Colorado State for two seasons, scored 37 points in the losing effort.

Many draft experts were surprised by Knecht's fall to 17th overall. He ranked seventh on Jonathan Givony's big board for ESPN and eighth on Kevin O'Connor's at The Ringer .

The NBA Draft concludes with the second round on Thursday afternoon.