Team Needs: Shooting, Center Depth, Playmaking
The Lakers enter the 2024 offseason with a new head coach in JJ Redick but a lot of the same questions about the roster that have existed for a couple of years. How willing they are to be aggressive in filling in those gaps is the question on everyone’s mind regarding the Lakers, including those in the building.
LeBron James can be a free agent this summer, potentially putting some pressure on the Lakers to push some chips in for next season, but Rob Pelinka and company have made it clear there are limits to what they’re willing to do — they seem unwilling to go into the second apron, and were non-committal about moving multiple future draft picks. As such, how they handled the 17th overall pick in Wednesday’s Draft figured to be telling, as they need to add shooting, especially to play the kind of ball Redick wants them to, and also have some depth concerns behind Anthony Davis.
As it turned out, the Lakers were able to land one of the most veteran players in this draft, as Dalton Knecht out of Tennessee slid from being a projected top-10 pick to 17, where L.A. happily scooped him up to address their need for more offensive firepower.
Dalton Knecht (No. 17 Overall), A: Knecht is 23 years old and isn’t the highest upside bet. At the same time, he simply fell too far, and the Lakers present a strong opportunity for him. He’s one of the best shooters in the class but, more than that, Knecht is a potential three-level scorer who plays an NBA-style game on offense. The defense is a lot less exciting to be sure, but this is a very solid landing spot for him and a great value for LA.