Lakers sign Tennessee standout Dalton Knecht to first-round contract

The Los Angeles Lakers signed Dalton Knecht , the 17th overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft , on Tuesday to his rookie-scale contract, according to the official transaction report .

He will make $3,182,600 next season as the 17th pick.

Knecht was a consensus first-team All-American after averaging 21.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists on 39.7% shooting from 3-point range. He registered a program record eight 35-point performances, including 37 points in a loss to Purdue in the Elite Eight.

The 23-year-old became the second player in program history to register at least five 35-point games and had the first 40-point effort in regulation by a Vol in over 34 years.

The Lakers were ecstatic that Knecht fell to them in the draft after ranking him highly on their board. They are impressed with his ability as a shooter on the move or bounce and the three-level scoring he can provide on a nightly basis.

Knecht was one of 13 players listed Tuesday on the Lakers’ roster for the California Classic and NBA Summer League, along with second-round pick Bronny James and roster players Maxwell Lewis and Colin Castleton, among others.

The Lakers will begin their summer league schedule at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Saturday against the Sacramento Kings . They will play three games there before starting a five-game campaign on July 12 versus the Houston Rockets in Las Vegas, Nevada (7:30 p.m. EDT, ESPN).

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