Dalton Knecht’s NBA journey has taken another turn, and this one sends him to New York.
Just before the regular season, the former Tennessee standout was waived by the Los Angeles Lakers, the team that drafted him. Now he has a new landing spot, with Shams Charania reporting that Knecht has signed with the New York Knicks on a two-way contract.
That kind of deal puts Knecht between the NBA and the G League. Teams are allowed to carry up to three two-way players, and those players need to have four or fewer years of NBA experience. They can appear in as many as 50 NBA games, but they are not eligible for the playoffs unless their deal is converted.
Knecht finished his second NBA season with the Lakers, appearing in 54 games and starting one. He averaged 4.2 points, 1.4 rebounds and 0.4 assists while shooting 45.5% from the floor and 34.2% from 3-point range.
His rookie year was more productive. Knecht played in 78 games, logged 19.2 minutes per night and averaged 9.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 0.8 assists.
Even so, the fit in Los Angeles never fully settled in. Midway through that season, the Lakers tried to deal him to the Charlotte Hornets, but the move fell apart on the Hornets’ end and Knecht stayed put.
From there, things changed.
Before he got to the NBA, Knecht built his reputation the long way. He started at the junior college level, then broke out as a scorer at Northern Colorado.
His final college stop was Tennessee, where he became one of the nation’s most dangerous offensive players. In his lone season with the Vols, he put up 21.7 points per game on 45.8% shooting and hit 39.7% from deep, while adding 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists.
That Tennessee team reached the Elite Eight for only the second time in school history before falling to Purdue. It also opened the door to a run of three straight Elite Eight appearances for Rick Barnes’ program, a streak that is still alive and could reach four this season.
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Tennessee Enters A Tricky South Carolina Test With One Clear Edge
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South Carolina is sitting at 3-3, but the Gamecocks are at least healthy enough to remain a tricky opponent at home, even with running back Jawarn Howell newly added to the injury list. Oddsmakers have the Gamecocks favored by 2.5 points, which says plenty about the challenge in front of Tennessee and the respect South Carolina has earned in this spot. The bigger question for the Volunteers is whether that clear edge in health translates into the kind of road performance that keeps their momentum rolling. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Faces A Week 8 Trap Fans Can't Ignore
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For Tennessee, the broader backdrop matters because the Week 8 slate has a way of turning polished records into uneasy ones if focus slips for even a half. The predictions around the country also suggest how quickly a season can change, from Cincinnatis upset potential against Texas Tech to the possibility of Texas making a quarterback move, and that kind of volatility is exactly why this stretch feels like a trap fans cannot ignore. [Read more 🡒]