Former Tennessee Vols star Dalton Knecht heading to the brightest spotlight in the NBA

It was a rough night on the draft floor for Dalton Knecht. The first-team All-American and SEC Player of the Year last season for the Tennessee Vols was projected by many to be a top ten pick , as high as top five in some mock drafts.  Even the NBA had him as a 7-10 range pr ojection when they were providing teams with access to their medical information.

Instead, he fell all the way out of the draft lottery.  Teenager after teenager after teenager was selected in front of him.  Baffled, one ESPN analyst on the broadcast said he texted multiple GMs, who confirmed age was a factor.  Knecht is 23 years old, which apparently (and nonsensically) makes him a dinosaur in the eyes of NBA front offices.

However, Knecht's slide ended when he was taken with the 17th overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers.

As far as landing spots, well, they don't come any bigger than Los Angeles.  The Lakers are the NBA's second winningest franchise with 17 NBA championships, second only to the Boston Celtics who claimed number 18 earlier this month.  The greatest ever have worn the purple and gold in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, and of course Knecht's newest teammate LeBron James.

The Lakers are the New York Yankees of the NBA.  The media is going to be the toughest.  The pressure to win is the highest.  The fanbase is the most demanding.  And the team far and away - especially with LeBron being on the team - gets the most coverage from ESPN and the other major news outlets.

Now, Knecht will be working with LeBron and Anthony Davis to help bring the Lakers, who last won an NBA title in 2020, back to the top of the NBA.  Given the number of teams that passed on Knecht, Los Angeles should be getting a player with plenty of motivation to prove that he's a difference maker.

Related: Tennessee Vols star Dalton Knecht inadvertently involved in awkward moment during first night of 2024 NBA Draft