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Grading the Lakers 2024 NBA Draft

© Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Another draft is in the books, and this time, the Lakers are walking away with two new rookies and several undrafted hopefuls. Here’s a look at the Lakers’ grades for the 2024 NBA Draft.

Grading the Lakers 2024 NBA Draft

Dalton Knecht

Much has already been made about Dalton Knecht falling to the Lakers at #17 on Wednesday, but it bears repeating: this is an absolute home-run of a selection. Knecht’s 6’5” frame combined with his sharpshooting, athleticism and physicality make him a perfect fit for the upcoming roster. Depending on how the rest of the summer goes, Knecht may find himself getting significant minutes sooner than later. Guided by head coach JJ Redick, who played a very similar role as a movement shooter in the NBA, the 23-year-old will make a great first impression on Laker fans and the rest of the NBA. The fact that he has a little extra motivation helps matters greatly, as Knecht said after he was drafted:

“Every time I touch a basketball or walk into a gym, I always feel like I got something to prove. And it doesn’t matter where I’m at, it’s always going to be there and have that chip on my shoulder for feeling like I’ve been underrated my whole life. So it’s going to be something that I’ll carry with me for the rest of my career.”

Grade: A+

Bronny James

As many expected, Bronny James was available when the Lakers were on the clock at no. 55, and Rob Pelinka decided to turn his and LeBron James’s dreams into reality. The one-and-done USC guard spent this past season recovering from cardiac arrest and preparing for the draft, and after all this time, his hard work paid off.

Bronny has all of the tools to develop into an NBA-level rotational player. He will be led not only by his father but a player-development-centered coach in Redick. James has already shown signs of a high basketball IQ, underrated athleticism and strong defensive potential. According to Rob Pelinka, James Jr. has also displayed a humble and excellent character that fits the mold of the Lakers organization. Now, it’s a matter of improving his jump shot and fitting into LA’s system, which shouldn’t take much time at all.

 

Grade: B+

Armel Traore (Two-Way)

French forward Armel Traore is one of two two-way signings for the Lakers. The 6’8” forward last played in France’s LNB Pro A league, where he averaged 10.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists on .541/.262/.629 splits. Traore, per scouting reports, has impressed with his athleticism and rebounding and does the brunt of his scoring inside the arc. He has also shown solid potential as a defender and playmaker and will need to develop into an adequate floor-spacer. The Lakers have been a team willing to bet on young, undrafted talent, and picking up Traore is yet another reminder of that.

Grade: B+

Blake Hinson (Two-Way)

Pittsburgh forward Blake Hinson made a name for himself as one of this year’s best perimeter shooters, and the Lakers managed to snag him on another two-way contract. Across 33 games, the senior averaged 18.5 points while shooting 42% from three on nearly eight attempts per game. Hinson enters the league as a 25-year-old rookie, having redshirted two years at Iowa State due to medical issues. Still, as proven by the selection of Knecht, the Lakers have no problem taking a chance on older rookies who fill key needs. Hinson will need to grow as a rebounder (4.4 per game this season) and passer (0.8 per game), but the scoring touch and potential are clearly there.

Grade: A-

Exhibit 10 Signings

The team has also picked up several players on Exhibit 10 contracts. Though there are no guarantees they’ll make even the G League affiliate roster, both of these players are solid signings who have plenty to prove in Summer League and, potentially, beyond.

Xavier guard Quincy Olivari is an undersized guard who did some major damage in the Big East. The 6’2” super senior led the conference in scoring with an average of 19.1 points on .425/.409/.814 splits. Prior to that, he lit up scoreboards while playing for Rice University, having tallied nearly 1,500 points over the course of four seasons. Olivari was an honorable mention on the Big East’s all-conference team this year.

The last signing as of Thursday evening was Mizzou guard Sean East II. Similar to Olivari, East II is an underrated, high-level scorer with five years of collegiate experience. East played for UMass, Bradley, and John A. Logan College before settling into Missouri for his final two years. In 30 games for the Tigers, the super senior broke out and averaged 17.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and four assists per game. He shot 52% from the field, 45% from three (only on 2.7 attempts per game) and 85% from the free-throw line.

Grades: B+

The Last Word

Overall, the Lakers should be proud of their progress in this year’s class. They managed to not only find some gems and make some history, but they’ve added pieces who still have loads of potential. The results over the past two days should garner A’s for Pelinka and the purple and gold.

Jordan Pagkalinawan

Jordan Pagkalinawan

Jordan Pagkalinawan is a journalism student at Emerson College who writes NBA articles across various platforms. He currently interns for CBS Sports, helping cover stories for their editorial team. Aside from his work with Last Word on Sports, he is also active on Medium and has managed social media for PerThirtySix, a sports site focused on data visualizations. He can also be found giving his thoughts on the league with his show, “The Boundless & Ballin’ Podcast,” on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

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