Lakers fans will love Dalton Knecht’s chances to win Rookie of the Year

One of the most exciting stories of the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft was the relegation of reigning SEC Player of the Year Dalton Knecht to the Los Angeles Lakers at number 17.

Knecht, who was considered a lottery pick, slipped out of the lottery and ended up in the hands of a team that already has LeBron James and Anthony Davis, who may be a perfect fit for the three-point shooter from the University of Tennessee.

The 23-year-old fell behind due to his age, which could scare off teams that are rebuilding and not yet ready to win. The Lakers don’t fall into that category.

Right now, Los Angeles is trying everything it can to improve the roster around James and Davis. A good place to start is by signing a player who averaged 21.7 points per game last season, shooting 45.8 percent from the field and 39.7 percent from the three-point line.

After the first round of the draft, the first odds for winning the Rookie of the Year award have been released and Lakers fans will be curious to see how the bookmakers rate their latest draft pick.

Knecht has the same chances to be named Rookie of the Year as Reed Sheppard (No. 3), Donovan Clingan (No. 7) and Tidjane Salaun (No. 6) and better chances than top-10 picks Cody Williams, Ron Holland, Rob Dillingham and Zach Edey.

opportunities via DraftKings Sportsbook.

While Knecht still trails Alexandre Sarr, Zaccharie Risacher and Stephon Castle, he is definitely in the running for that award in the 2023-24 season. It’s unclear what role the former Tennessee star will play, but Knecht’s room and natural scoring talent should allow him to spend some time playing opposite James, Davis and Austin Reaves in the Lakers’ lineup.

Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka apparently did not believe Knecht would be available at number 17 and said the Lakers viewed him as a top-10 player in the draft.

This is a positive sign for Knecht’s Rookie of the Year stock. The Rookie of the Year market is a difficult one every year because it is heavily dependent on opportunity. Some players may have a ton of talent, but they could end up in situations where they don’t get much playing time.

With the Lakers potentially looking to trade players like Rui Hachimura, D’Angelo Russell (if he chooses to do so) and others to build their roster, Knecht could get playing minutes immediately.

It’s hard to imagine Pelinka singing the 23-year-old’s praises and then the Lakers burying their first-round pick on the bench, but it’s worth noting that a much less experienced prospect – Jalen Hood-Schifino – might not make the Lakers’ rotation in the 2023-24 season.

We have a long offseason ahead of us that could change this market due to free agent signings and player trades by teams, but Knecht is in a great situation to begin his NBA career.

The odds are updated regularly and are subject to change.

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