Rockets Draft: The Case for Selecting Dalton Knecht

In the 2024 NBA Draft, the Houston Rockets should consider selecting Tennessee prospect Dalton Knecht.

Tennessee guard Dalton Knecht (3) celebrates a call by an official during a NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 / Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA

The NBA Draft Lottery is quickly approaching, as the final draft order will be finalized for teams with lottery selections next month.. The Houston Rockets are projected to pick just inside of the top 10 through owning the Brooklyn Nets’ first-round selection, even though Houston doesn’t have its own pick. A draft choice in that range will allow the Rockets to add a player who can instantly be added to the young core. as a key piece.

Although there isn’t a clear top prospect in the 2024 NBA Draft at this point, there’s quite a bit of variability in who could be available when the Rockets are on the clock. With that in mind, if Dalton Knecht is on the board when Houston drafts, he should be someone the front office heavily considers.

After playing at the Junior College level, followed by two seasons at Northern Colorado in the Big Sky Conference, Knecht emerged as a star in his lone season at Tennessee. He was the Volunteers’ best player last season and led them to a great regular season and NCAA Tournament run. 

In the recent season, Knecht averaged 21.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game while shooting 39.7% from deep on significant volume. The 6-foot-6 wing proved to be one of the most dynamic scorers in the country. Even as the stage got bigger, he continued to dominate nearly every floor he stepped on. 

At 23 years old, Knecht is one of the older prospects with a chance to be drafted as high as he is projected. With that in mind, he has the experience and IQ to make an instant impact at the NBA level. For a young team like the Rockets, selecting a player who can earn minutes as a rookie rather than drafting a project could be a great move. While Knecht isn’t a great defender, he would fill a much needed offensive void on the wing. 

If Knecht is still on the board when Houston is up to pick, he would be a quality addition to this young Rockets core.

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