In a recent mock draft published by On3, James Fletcher III slotted Tennessee wing Dalton Knecht to OKC at pick No. 12.
In his fifth year of college basketball, Knecht had a remarkable season for the Volunteers, averaging 21.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game and shooting 39.7% from 3-point range on 6.5 attempts per contest.
With strong perimeter shot-making ability, good positional size and decent rebounding skills, Knecht seems like he would fit with Daigneault’s offensive system. With multiple players who are already reliable shooters, the former Vols standout could give the team another sharpshooter off the bench.
Additionally, veteran wing Gordon Hayward is in the final year of his contract, meaning that Knecht could step into the Thunder’s rotation in place of Hayward if the team chooses not to resign the 34-year-old.
Knecht earned consensus All-American honors and was named SEC Player of the Year for his efforts during the 2023-24 season. The Littleton, CO, product helped lead Tennessee to the Elite 8 in the NCAA Tournament, but the Volunteers ended up falling to Zach Edey and Purdue.
Prior to his lone year in Knoxville, Knecht spent two years at Northern Colorado, averaging just 8.9 points per game in 2021-22 before tallying over 20 points and seven rebounds per game the next season.
Knecht spent two years at Northeastern Junior College in Colorado before transferring to Northern Colorado.
Knecht’s biggest question mark is his defensive ability, which seems to be a very important trait to Presti when evaluating and selecting draft prospects. If the Thunder’s GM believes that Knecht’s defensive concerns can be remedied, however, there are other aspects of his game that would make him a solid fit in the Modern Frontier.
As the Chicago Bulls prepare for the offseason, the 2024 NBA Draft will mark a crucial point for them. After three years of mediocrity with their current core, Arturas Karnisovas finally admitted that the current roster isn’t working. Now, the Bulls should be looking to plan for the future, and that will start with who they are able to select in the upcoming draft.
The emergence of Coby White as a potential star this season was monumental for the Bulls, as they now have a guy they can partially build around moving forward. Ayo Dosunmu falls under that same category, as he also enjoyed a great 2023-24 season. But they cannot do it alone, and the Bulls will need to add some young talent around them if they want to brighten their future.
Tennessee wing Dalton Knecht could be a guy they look to target. Some mock drafts have the 23-year-old being off the board by the time Chicago’s pick comes around, but his shooting and scoring ability make him a very intriguing fit for the Bulls.
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