
Coming off his rookie season in the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers, former Tennessee basketball star Dalton Knecht is getting a chance to show off during the off-season.
Knecht will play for the Lakers’ 2025 Summer League team alongside other young players looking to crack rosters for the 2025-26 season. Knecht’s spot on Los Angeles isn’t in jeopardy, but he could help himself earn a more consistent role in the rotation with a strong stretch of games.
Other Vols in the Summer League will be Chaz Lanier and Zakai Zeigler with the Detroit Pistons, Jahmai Mashack with the Memphis Grizzlies, Jordan Gainey with the Phoenix Suns, Jaden Springer with the Utah Jazz and Tyreke Key with the Toronto Raptors. Igor Milicic Jr. signed an Exhibit-10 contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, but will not compete in the Summer League as he works back from an off-season injury.
Knecht’s Lakers will play the Warriors, Heat and Spurs in the ‘California Classic’ on July 5, 6 and 8. The roster will then play in Las Vegas against the Mavericks, Pelicans, Clippers and Celtics later in the week.
Summer Lakers coming soon 🔜 pic.twitter.com/GoJbzmsBan
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) July 3, 2025
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Last year, ahead of his first season in the league, Knecht played in three Summer League games. In that time, he averaged 21.3 points per game on 41.8% shooting from the field and 39.1% on 3-pointers. He also contributed 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per match.
In the regular season, Knecht played in 78 games and started in 16 for the Lakers. He averaged 9.1 points on 46.1% field goal shooting and 37.6% on deep balls. He was dealt to the Hornets at the trade deadline, but a separate piece of the trade failed the following physical, which vetoed the trade. This kept Knecht in Los Angeles, where he remains.
At Tennessee, Knecht played just one season but made the absolute most of it. In a year where he won SEC Player of the Year and was a consensus All-American, he averaged 21.7 points per game on 45.8% shooting from the floor and 39.7% on threes. He also averaged 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.
His superb play resulted in Tennessee making a push to its then-second-ever Elite Eight. He also led the charge for an SEC regular season championship and a 2-seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Prior to his year in Knoxville, Knecht played at Northern Colorado and Northeastern Junior College in Colorado.