Dalton Knecht reportedly signs four-year rookie contract with Los Angeles Lakers
Dalton Knecht has signed his rookie contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. The deal, according to Spotrac, is worth $18.4 million over four years, with $7.8 million guaranteed at signing. Knecht was the No. 17 overall pick in last week’s NBA Draft.
The average salary for the contract is $4.6 million. According to Spotrac, Knecht will make $3.8 million as a rookie in 2024-25, then $4.01 million in 2025-26. The third and fourth years of the deal includes club options, with Knecht set to make $4.2 million in 2026-27 and $6.4 million 2027-28.
Knecht would become a restricted free agent before the 2028-29 season.
Entering the draft, Knecht was widely projected to be a top-10 pick according to most mock drafts. The Charlotte Hornets at the No. 6 overall pick was a popular destination, as was the No. 8 pick to the San Antonio Spurs and the No. 9 pick to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Sports business website Sportico, which projected Knecht to get $18.5 million over four years on his rookie contract, including $7.9 million guaranteed over the first two years of the deal, estimated the No. 6 overall pick to be worth $34.1 million overall, with $15.4 million guaranteed.
“We didn’t think Dalton would be available at 17 but he provides something that we just don’t have,” new Lakers coach JJ Redick said on Tuesday. “He’s a movement shooter. He can obviously play off the bounce. We viewed him very highly on our draft board, and he can score at all three levels. … There was a lot of things to be excited about with Dalton. I’m excited to coach him.”
Dalton Knecht: ‘I feel like I’ve been underrated my whole entire life’
The 6-foot-6, 213-pound Knecht starred in his one and only season at Tennessee, after transferring to the Vols from Northern Colorado. He was a consensus First Team All-American and the SEC Player of the Year after averaging 21.7 points per game and 25.5 points in SEC play.
Knecht scored a career-high 40 points against Kentucky in his final game at Food City Center. He scored 30 or more points in eight games, 20 or more points in 19 games and 10 or more points in 32 of Tennessee’s 36 games.
“I feel like I’ve been underrated my whole entire life,” Knecht said last week, “ever since I was coming out of high school. I’ve always had a chip on my shoulder, and to this day I’ll always have that chip on my shoulder to go out there and prove people wrong.”
