Former Tennessee Basketball star Dalton Knecht is back on the court for the Lakers in Summer League action.
The Lakers and the Warriors kicked things off in the California Classic on Saturday night, with Knecht scoring the third-most points on the Los Angeles side of the court. Knecht recorded 10 points, four rebounds, two assists, one block, and a team-high two steals in an 89-84 loss to Golden State.
Dalton Knecht’s second season as a pro is officially underway.
Here’s all 10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals from DK’s Summer League performance on Saturday against the Warriors. #Vols pic.twitter.com/bF7834NVsw
— John Sartori (@JohnSartoriTV) July 6, 2025
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With one game under his belt, Knecht’s got two more appearances in the California Classic (Heat, Spurs) before the Lakers move to Las Vegas for the full 30-team NBA 2K26 Summer League showcase.
Knecht and the Lakers will open the Las Vegas Summer League against the Dallas Mavericks in the first professional appearance for No. 1 overall draft pick Cooper Flagg. The former Vol and former Blue Devil missed each other in the college ranks by just one year, not that the two teams played each other during that span. But if they had? It would’ve been a main event matchup with ESPN’s College GameDay almost certainly previewing the star-studded game from wherever it may have taken place.
Both Knecht and Flagg only spent one year with Tennessee and Duke, respectively, but both left a massive impact. Knecht averaged 21.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists during his lone season in Knoxville and was named the unanimous SEC Player of the Year by the Coaches and AP. Knecht was also named a consensus First Team All-American in 2024. Flagg, meanwhile, averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists during his lone season with Duke. The 18-year-old sensation was named the National College Player of the Year and a consensus First Team All-American in 2025.
While these two players never met up in college, a matchup between Knecht’s Volunteers and Flagg’s Blue Devils would’ve been a must-see battle.
It won’t be in the same colors (for Knecht, at least), but we will likely see the two in action against each other in Cooper Flagg’s debut summer league game with the Dallas Mavericks.
The Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks will square off in the Las Vegas Summer League on July 10 at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Bonus
(For what it’s worth, I asked AI to simulate a game between Knecht’s Vols and Flagg’s Blue Devils on a neutral court. It’s got Tennessee winning 76-72, with Knecht recording 26 points, six rebounds, and two assists, and Flagg tallying 21 points, eight rebounds, and four assists.
“Cooper Flagg shines, but struggles slightly against the Vols’ physical defense and double teams. Dalton Knecht takes over in the second half, just like he did throughout March.”)
