Dalton Knecht 2024 NBA mock drafts: Where is Tennessee basketball star projected to be picked?
Dalton Knecht arrived at Tennessee last year as a coveted transfer for the Volunteers’ basketball program but, outside of certain corners of the country, the Northern Colorado transfer was still relatively little known.
He’s leaving the Vols as an All-America selection, the 2023-24 SEC Player of the Year and, now, a likely high pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. On Sunday, the NBA held its annual draft lottery, where the order of the first 14 picks of the draft — those belonging to teams that failed to qualify for the 2024 NBA playoffs — was determined by a collection of ping pong balls.
For Knecht, it provided a clearer picture of where the star Tennessee guard may end up as he takes a crucial next step in his basketball career. Here’s a look at where Knecht may get selected following Sunday’s draft lottery:
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Dalton Knecht NBA mock draft 2024
Projections for the 2024 NBA Draft vary considerably, due in part to what many analysts consider to be a relatively weak talent pool for the draft and the lack of a clear top prospect.
Because of that, there’s a wide range of estimated landing spots and draft positions for Knecht. Early mock drafts from major national outlets have him in the draft’s lottery, with several placing him in the top 10.
Here’s where early 2024 NBA mock drafts have Knecht going with the draft still six weeks away:
USA TODAY For the Win: No. 10 overall to the Utah Jazz
ESPN: No. 8 overall to the San Antonio Spurs
The Athletic: No. 7 overall to the Portland Trail Blazers
The Ringer: No. 11 overall to the Chicago Bulls
Yahoo Sports: No. 11 overall to the Chicago Bulls
SB Nation: No. 13 overall to the Sacramento Kings
NBADraft.net: No. 4 overall to the San Antonio Spurs
When is the 2024 NBA Draft?
The 2024 NBA Draft will be held on June 26-27 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. This will mark the first year that the draft has been divided into two days, with the first round taking place on Wednesday, June 26, and the second round following that up on Thursday, June 27.
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Dalton Knecht stats at Tennessee
In his lone season with the Vols, Knecht was a revelation, averaging 21.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game while shooting 45.8% from the field and 39.7% from 3-point range.
With that production, Knecht was a consensus first-team All-American, the SEC Player of the Year and a finalist for several of college basketball’s various player of the year awards.
Along the way, he helped lead Tennessee to just its second-ever Elite Eight, where it lost to eventual national runner-up Purdue. The 6-foot-6, 213-pound Knecht scored 37 points in the loss, setting a program record for an NCAA Tournament game. It was his eighth game of the season with at least 35 points, breaking another Tennessee record.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Dalton Knecht 2024 NBA mock draft: Tennessee basketball star's projections
