Former SEC Player of the Year Dalton Knecht is back on Rocky Top as he begins his first offseason as a NBA player. The Tennessee basketball official account on X (Twitter) shared a post Tuesday of Knecht working out with Assistant Director of Player Development Riley Collins at Pratt Pavilion.
a visitor from the west@DaltonKnecht3 pic.twitter.com/IfCQBv0FRm
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) May 7, 2025
Knecht’s first NBA season ended last week when the Minnesota Timberwolves upset Knecht in the Lakers in five games in the opening round of the NBA Playoffs.
It was a turbulent first professional year for Knecht. He had a great start to the season but then faced expected adjustments. Things came to a head at the trade deadline when the Lakers dealt Knecht to the Hornets for center Mark Williams.
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The move came shortly after Los Angeles traded for Luka Doncic in a blockbuster deal that left a hole on its roster at the center spot. But after the trade was public for multiple days, Los Angeles pulled out of the deal because Williams failed a physical.
That left Knecht in Los Angeles on a team that had tried to trade him and with a less attainable role due to the additions to its backcourt. Knecht played just four total minutes in the Timberwolves series, scoring five points and grabbing three rebounds.
Over the course of his rookie season, Knecht averaged 9.1 points on 46% shooting from the field and 37% shooting from three-point range.
Los Angeles drafted Knecht with the 17th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft last summer after the wing’s breakout senior season after transferring to Tennessee. Knecht earned SEC Player of the Year and First Team All-American honors in his lone season in Knoxville.
The Northern Colorado transfer averaged 21.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game in his senior season at Tennessee helping the Vols win the SEC Regular-Season Championship and making a run all the way to the Elite Eight.
