Former Tennessee basketball star Dalton Knecht took advantage of his first NBA opportunity of the 2026-27 season.
Knecht made his debut for the defending champion New York Knicks in their 135-105 win over the Chicago Bulls on Nov. 4 at Madison Square Garden.
The 2024 SEC Player of the Year scored 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting and drained two of four 3-pointers. He grabbed seven rebounds and had a block and an assist in 16 minutes.
His putback dunk was the highlight of his performance.
Dalton Knecht (10 PTS, 7 REB, 4-6 FGM) made his Knicks debut in their win vs. Chicago 🗽 pic.twitter.com/CGtDZhyyYS
— NBA (@NBA) November 5, 2026
Knecht signed a two-way contract with the Knicks on Oct. 23 after he was waived by the Los Angeles Lakers on Oct. 19. He was assigned to the Knicks' G League affiliate in Westchester, New York, but was called up with starting forward Josh Hart out with right ankle soreness.
“I wasn’t surprised, I just came in ready to go,” Knecht told reporters after the game. “The coaches said you’re active so that just means be ready.”
Knicks coach Mike Brown was impressed with Knecht's performance.
"He's a scorer," Brown told reporters. "He's not just a shooter. A lot of people think he's a shooter because he's white ... He can go get it. He can shoot from range. He's got a medium game, he can get to the rim, he can pass. He's got to work defensively and I thought tonight he tried to play within himself.
"I thought he gave us a nice little lift, especially offensively when he played towards the end of that first half."
The Lakers selected the 6-foot-6 wing with the No. 17 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Knecht showed promise early in his rookie year, but struggled to find consistent playing time after a rescinded trade almost sent Knecht to the Charlotte Hornets.
Knecht averaged 4.2 points and 1.1 rebounds in 10.2 minutes per game in his second season with the Lakers.
The Northern Colorado transfer made the most of his only season at Tennessee, becoming a consensus first-team All-American and leading the Vols to an Elite Eight appearance.
Wynton Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. Email: wynton.jackson@knoxnews.com
Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks: knoxnews.com/subscribe
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Dalton Knecht's putback dunk highlights debut with Knicks for former Tennessee star