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The LA Lakers entered the 2024 NBA draft with the No. 17 and No. 55 (via LA Clippers) overall picks. With their first-round pick, they drafted Tenessee Volunteers' guard Dalton Knecht in their quest for low-cost talent.
Their No. 55 pick was added in their four-team trade ahead of the deadline in 2023 that sent Thomas Bryant to the Denver Nuggets, Bones Hyland to the Clippers and Mo Bamba to the Lakers. This draft marks the second time LA had the No. 17 pick that they used to select Jalen Hood-Schifino.
Knecht comes in as quite the splash for LA, as he was regarded as one of the letter snipers in the draft. His catch-and-shoot 3s and quick-burst layups give the team a chance to explore his serious offensive chops.
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The 23-year-old shot 39.7% of his 3s as a senior, making him a prize candidate to break into the Purple and Gold's rotation. Listed 6-foot-6 with a 6-foot-9 wingspan, the guard does have limitations on defense and has some work to do with his facilitating. But the Lakers, who projected him as a top 10 pick, will consider him a steal.
Bronny James pegged to be drafted by LA Lakers as No. 55 pick
Bronny James was one of the biggest names leading up to the 2024 NBA draft and is a favorite to be drafted by the LA Lakers as they gear up for Day 2 with their No. 55 pick option. While the oldest son of LeBron James didn't dish out stellar numbers at USC, he has shown flashes of his potential that could make him a solid addition to any NBA franchise. Scouting reports see him as an elite perimeter defender, a knockdown 3-point shooter, and a reliable facilitator.
Bronny announced that he was entering the 2024 NBA draft and did so while he entered the NCAA transfer simultaneously. His sole season with the Trojans showed unimpressive numbers as he started six of the 25 games he played. He tallied 121 points overall averaging 4.1 points per game. However, he had a solid shooting display during the NBA scouting combine that saw his stocks rise.
At the time of writing, it is still unclear where Bronny James will end up, but the LA Lakers are firm favorites to land the guard. Should he indeed be drafted by the 17-time NBA champions, it's more than just an NBA dream that's materialized for the young gun.
