Los Angeles Lakers rule out Dalton Knecht, Bronny James for final NBA Summer League game, per report

Dalton Knecht, Bronny James, and Maxwell Lewis were all three ruled out of Saturday’s Lakers-Bulls matchup in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. It’s a medical decision based on the volume of practices and games throughout the Cali Classic and Las Vegas, according to the report from Mike Trudell.

The LA Lakers whipped the Bulls on Saturday night, 107-81. Blake Hinson poured in 25 points for the Lakers, to cap off his impressive Summer League.

Dalton Knecht has looked as advertised in the Summer League contests. He dropped 20 points on two different occasions. On Thursday, he led the Lakers to victory after stuffing the stat sheet with 20 points, seven rebounds, two three-pointers, one assist, and one steal in 29 minutes of work.

Bronny James had a brutal showing in the Summer League in his first four games, but has scored in double figures in his last two outings, averaging 12.5 points per game. Both players will unfortunately miss the matchup against Bulls first rounder Matas Buzelis, who’s put together an impressive highlight tape this summer.

During his lone season with the Volunteers, Knecht averaged 21.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game while shooting 45.8% from the field and 39.7% from beyond the arc. Knecht’s 21.7 points per game were the most in the SEC.

For his efforts, he was the 2024 SEC Player of the Year, a unanimous All-American (AP, NABC, Sporting News, USBWA), a Julius Erving Award honoree and Naismith Trophy Player of the Year finalist. He now brings that talent to Los Angeles where he’ll look to help push the Lakers back into the forefront of the Western Conference.

What NBA Draft experts are saying about Dalton Knecht

Experts have high hopes for Knecht at the next level. Ahead of the draft, On3’s James Fletcher III broke down Knecht’s play style and NBA potential.

“Dalton Knecht left no doubt that he can score the basketball at any level,” Fletcher III wrote. “Upping his production while moving from Northern Colorado to Tennessee makes him one of the highest floor players on offense.

“The 6-foot-6 wing will now go head-to-head with athletic defenders more often in the NBA, giving him another area to grow. He improved defensively, but still has questions to answer on that end as well.”

Fletcher wasn’t the only one sang Knecht’s praises in the lead up to draft night. “RotoWire” also raved about the Tennessee standout.

“Knecht has excellent size and is comfortable handling the ball, shooting off the catch and pulling up off the dribble from well beyond the 3-point line. Knecht’s confidence and seemingly unlimited range are what make him such a dangerous offensive player.

“He’s not overly quick or athletic, but defenders are forced to respect his ability to pull up at a moment’s notice… Defensively, Knecht will almost certainly be a liability at the NBA level. Improving his quickness and positioning will be key points of emphasis. Even so, he’s a heady player on both ends, so the hope is that his instincts and IQ help offset some of the physical limitations.”

On3’s Barkley Truax and Grant Grubbs also contributed to this article.