Barkley believes that the Lakers’ acquisition of Dalton Knecht was a steal.
Although Knecht’s season has gotten off to a slow start (currently averaging just 6.1 points per game), the young shooting guard and small forward showed incredible potential in the preseason, putting up 35 points in the Lakers’ OT win against the Phoenix Suns, drawing high praise from NBA veterans.
Barkley, it seems, is a big fan of Knecht. Recently, on Inside the NBA, the legendary forward scolded NBA GMs for not understanding the level of Knecht’s talent.
“These NBA general managers don’t have any idea what they’re doing. Letting the Lakers get Dalton Knecht was one of the stupidest things I’ve ever seen. That’s a bad boy right there. Dalton Knecht: remember that name, y’all.”
Los Angeles Lakers guards Bronny James (9), Dalton Knecht (4) and Jalen Hood-Schifino (0).
Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
Barkley was impressed with Knecht’s NBA debut, where he scored five points in 16 minutes against the Timberwolves and praised Knecht’s college career at the University of Tennessee, where he was the 2023-24 SEC Player of the Year. Knecht averaged 21.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game during his lone season at Tennessee.
We’ll have to wait and see if he can live up to Barkley’s praise. Currently, the rookie guard is shooting just 38.6% from the field, with only 1.1 assists per game. That said, it takes awhile for rookies to adjust to the big leagues, so we can expect his numbers improve the more minutes he plays.