Dalton Knecht pours in 20 points along nine boards in NBA Summer League loss vs. Heat
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The Los Angeles Lakers’ top pick from the 2024 NBA Draft, former Tennessee Volunteers’ star wing Dalton Knecht, put together an impressive performance in the Lakers’ third summer league game against the Miami Heat on Wednesday.
Knecht led his Lakers’ teammates in scoring scoring 20 points in the contest. You can check out some of his top plays from Wednesday night’s action in the video below.
Knechtt also had nine rebounds and one assist to go along with his 20-point performance.
Despite the former Volunteer leading the way scoring, shooting 8-17 from the field and 2-8 from beyond the arc, the Lakers still came up short against the Heat, losing 80-76. Los Angeles could not slow down Miami’s wing duo of forward Keshad Johnson and guard Alondes Williams, who both finished the game with 21 points to go along with nine and eight rebounds, respectively.
Los Angeles is now 0-3 in the California Classic Summer League.
Lakers add another former SEC standout
Former Florida center Colin Castleton has re-signed with the Los Angeles Lakers on a two-way contract, according to a report from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
Castleton spent his rookie season with the Lakers last year, appearing in 16 games.
He didn’t have a big impact, averaging only 3.7 minutes per contest. In that work, Castleton averaged 1.5 points and 0.8 rebounds per game.
But the former Florida big man has dealt with a pair of right wrist injuries that have hampered the start of his NBA career. The first injury occurred late in the 2023 season with the Gators, ending his final season.
Then, he suffered a fractured right wrist while playing for the Lakers last spring.
Colin Castleton had made a name for himself playing for the G League’s South Bay Lakers, where he averaged 16.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.6 blocks, and 0.9 steals per game in 28.8 minutes per game across 24 appearances.
He’ll have a chance to crack the Lakers’ rotation if he is fully healthy again.
In terms of his game, Colin Castleton has really worked to improve his shooting, which could be a complement to his excellent passing ability as a big man.