Recent reports suggest that Tennessee Volunteers guard Dalton Knecht (a player we here at A Royal Pain have a scouting report on) is receiving interest from teams in the middle of the lottery. That list includes teams like the Charlotte Hornets, San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers, Memphis Grizzlies, and Utah Jazz.
All of those teams pick before the Sacramento Kings, who hold the 13th overall pick (and the 45th overall pick) in the 2024 NBA Draft. For those who were unaware, Knecht has drawn a lot of interest from teams for his combination of size (6'6 with a 6'9 wingspan) and shooting (39.7% from three last season).
Phenomenal effort from Tennessee's Dalton Knecht in the final game of his college career, scoring 37 points (6/12 3P) showing why he's a projected top-10 pick. Made shots in a variety of ways, was a handful in the open court, and made smart passing reads. pic.twitter.com/UCcjDhTcBp
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 1, 2024
We know what you are thinking. That sounds a lot like our current starting shooting guard, Kevin Huerter — a sharpshooter (career 38.2% 3-point shooter) at the prime of his career (still just 25 years old). So, why do the Kings need to think about drafting Knecht if they already have Huerter?
Well, there has been talk that the Kings may be looking into moving Huerter and Harrison Barnes to add more functional size and non-center rim protection to their roster.
If that happens, the Kings may have wanted to use their 13th overall pick to find a replacement for Huerter. Knecht, a player who I have seen compared to movement shooters like Max Strus, would be a great option for this.
(Sidebar: The Ringer's NBA Draft Guide currently has Knecht as 12th on their Big Board.)
We have already discussed how Keon Ellis should be ready to take on the starting two-guard spot if something happens to Huerter. If they want, the Kings could trade Huerter, start Ellis, and let Knecht develop behind the two-way guard at his own pace.
However, now, it looks like the Kings will need to trade up in the draft if they want to grab Knecht. That would mean trading one of the assets they were hoping to use in a different trade. Given how similar all the prospects in this class are viewed as being talent-wise, trading up for someone probably wouldn't be worth it.
If Knecht is there, the Kings should definitely consider taking him. But this latest batch of intel makes me think that he won't be. So, the Kings need to be ready to look elsewhere if/then Knecht is no longer on the board.