HERMOSA BEACH — It was appropriate that Dalton Knecht’s meet-and-greet as part of his partnership with El Pollo Loco happened when it did.
Because it was exactly a year ago to the date from last Thursday that the Lakers used the No. 17 pick in last year’s NBA draft to select Knecht.
So as Knecht, wearing a salmon colored Gallery Dept. zip-up hoodie over a plain black t-shirt and black shorts, walked over to a shaded table next to El Pollo Loco’s first food truck debuting new menu items (a creamy chipotle quesadilla and salsa verde quesadilla) with a long line of fans sprawled throughout the Hermosa Beach Pier Plaza waiting to meet him, he had an opportunity to reflect.
“That’s crazy,” Knecht said to the Southern California News Group. “Quick year. Quick year.”
A quick but full year, with Knecht taking advantage of the off-the-court opportunities that have come his way since joining the Lakers.
Knecht is El Pollo Loco’s first athlete partner – a partnership, Knecht told the SCNG, that came after he was recommended to the fire-grilled chicken restaurant when asking for food spots in Southern California.
He also has a partnership with Lemon Daddy, with the 24-year-old Knecht being featured on billboards for the online legal company spread throughout Southern California. His partnership with El Pollo Loco also includes a commercial that debuted on Monday.
But the scenic and welcoming environment Knecht walked into didn’t take away from basketball being the priority – evident by his hair being damp while speaking with the SCNG after coming from a workout at the Lakers’ El Segundo practice facility.
“Went by kind of quick,” Knecht said of his rookie season. “But also at the same time, it was a good learning lesson. Got to learn from a lot of good people. It was a dream come true just playing and being in the NBA.”
Knecht’s dream involved a variety of twists and turns.
He was in the team’s Day One rotation, initially as a reserve before temporarily being placed into the starting lineup in mid-November, leading to his best stretch of play: 14.2 points per game (47.9% shooting, 40% from 3-point range) and 5.0 rebounds over 13 games.
This included scoring a career-high 37 points in a Nov. 19 victory over the Utah Jazz, tying an NBA rookie record by making nine 3-point shots on 12 attempts.
Adversity arose for Knecht when his playing time decreased, especially in January, before being included in the trade package for Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams. The deal was rescinded by the Lakers a few days later after Williams failed the team’s physical, resulting in Knecht rejoining the team. His playing time didn’t come as consistently once he rejoined the Lakers, and he was out of the main rotation by the end of the season.
Knecht averaged 9.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.6 made 3s (37.6%) in 78 games as a rookie.
“After the season we had a talk and stuff like that,” Knecht said of his conversations with Lakers coach JJ Redick since the season ended. “And we’ve been doing a workout. We’ve got lunch and stuff. Just talking and getting to know each other more and then being able to communicate with each other.
“That’s the most important thing. Then, obviously, JJ is a great shooter and we’ve just been doing shooting drills and stuff like that. It’s good just getting to the gym with your head coach. Learn from him, because he’s a great shooter as well.”
Knecht will play for the Lakers’ summer league team for the second consecutive season alongside a quad that’s expected to feature fellow 2024 draftee Bronny James, 2025 second-round pick Adou Thiero and former Villanova star Eric Dixon, who recently signed a two-way contract with the Lakers.
“Just showing what I can do,” Knecht said of summer league. “Feel like I kind of showed a little bit throughout my rookie year, but just keep building on top of that.”