Lakers grab veteran Tennessee guard Dalton Knecht with No. 17 pick; Clippers add Minnesota guard Cam Christie

The NBA’s Pacific Division wasn’t the destination for many young prospects during this year’s draft, although there was one very notable exception to that rule.

The Los Angeles Lakers used their No. 55 selection to select USC guard Bronny James, who will team up with his father LeBron in a historic father-son pairing. The 19-year-old James is certainly a project after scoring just 4.8 points per game in his lone college season at USC, but it was impossible for the Lakers to ignore his bloodline.

Aside from the James selection, the division’s teams were primarily interested in grown men who could help their teams right away.

The Sacramento Kings used the No. 13 pick to select Providence’s Devin Carter, a 22-year-old who averaged nearly 20 points per game during his final college season. The 6-foot-2 guard is also considered a good defender and could fit well with the team’s other guards, including De’Aaron Fox, Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk.

The Lakers went for the scoring with their No. 17 pick, adding Tennessee’s 23-year-old Dalton Knecht. The 6-foot-1 guard was one of the college game’s top scorers last season, averaging nearly 22 points per game.

The Phoenix Suns maneuvered a bit on both days of the draft, trading the No. 22 pick to the Nuggets for the No. 28 pick, the No. 56 pick and two future second-round selections. Phoenix took Virginia winger Ryan Dunn at No. 28, giving the team a defensive standout to play with the team’s star trio of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.

The Suns then flipped the No. 56 pick in another proposed trade, moving up to No. 40 and acquiring big man Oso Ighodaro from Marquette. The athletic 21-year-old has the opportunity to immediately become Jusuf Nurkic’s backup.

Team need(s): The Warriors have the No. 52 selection in the second round on Thursday. In his second role as general manager, Mike Dunleavy hopes to find an impact player like Trayce Jackson-Davis, who was the No. 57 pick last season. During his rookie year, he turned into a key cog off the bench, averaging 7.9 points and 5.0 rebounds.

Who did the team drafting: Nobody in the first round. The Warriors were working on a trade that would ultimately bring Boston College center Quinten Post to Golden State. Post was taken with selection No. 52. The 7-footer has great shooting touch and is the kind of big man with wide floor space that is coveted in the NBA.

Team Need(s): The Clippers are a team that could be on the move, with stars Paul George and James Harden set to hit free agency. Any sort of infusion of young talent would be nice for an aging roster.

Who drafted the team: Nobody in the first round. The Clippers added Minnesota wing Cam Christie with the No. 46 pick in the second. Christie is only 18 years old and could be a bit of a project, but was a Big Ten all-freshman selection during his lone college season. He is a dynamic shooter who adds youth to the NBA’s oldest team. His brother, Max, plays for the Lakers.

LA did not have a first round pick as they traded it to the Oklahoma City Thunder along with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in exchange for George in 2019. It is one of several picks they traded George to pair him with Kawhi Leonard in hopes of win the franchise’s first NBA championship. That didn’t happen.

Team need(s): A player who can contribute now as the Lakers try to get the most out of their remaining partnership between LeBron James and Anthony Davis, especially after apparently missing slow-developing guard Jalen Hood-Schifino last year. LA could use perimeter scoring and spot-up shooting, and it could also use more size to help Davis.

Who did the team setup: Knecht. The SEC Player of the Year is a prolific scorer who rose to stardom during a winding journey that began with no Division I scholarship offers and ended with three increasingly impressive seasons at Northern Colorado and then Tennessee. It’s an open question whether the 6-foot-2 Bronny James is ready to immediately contribute at the NBA level, but Dad will certainly be happy about it.

Whose play the first-round draft pick is most comparable to and why: Knecht was a near-consensus projected lottery pick whose outside shooting and overall style inspired parallels with everyone from Klay Thompson and Tim Hardaway Jr. to Jerami Grant and Terrence Ross.

Team Need(s): The Suns could use a point guard after struggling with turnovers last season, particularly in the fourth quarter. They also need perimeter defense and a backup big man.

Who the team drafted: After dropping six spots in the trade with Denver, the Suns took Dunn at No. 28. The 21-year-old is considered perhaps the best defensive player in the draft, something the Suns needed. In the second round, the Suns got a potential backup big man at No. 40 after selecting Ighodaro, who grew up in the Phoenix area.

Whose game does the first-round draft pick most closely resemble and why: Dunn could be a player in the mold of New Orleans wing Herb Jones, who made the All-Defensive team last season in his third year in the league. Jones was the No. 35 selection in the 2021 draft.

Team need(s): The Kings answered their biggest looming question before the draft by signing Monk to a four-year contract. Sacramento could use more length and athleticism and help on the wing to complement Harrison Barnes, who turned 32 in May. Keegan Murray and Trey Lyles — their other wings — are more spot-up shooters.

Who drafted the team: Carter should help alleviate some of their concerns. He averaged nearly 20 points per game last year and was heralded as one of the top two-way players in the draft. He is an elite rebounder for his size, grabbing 8.7 boards per game as a smaller guard. He also improved from beyond the arc in each of his three collegiate seasons, shooting 37.7% from distance last year.

Who does the first-round draft pick most closely compare to and why: Carter’s prowess on both ends of the court could fit the mold of the Boston Celtics’ Jrue Holiday, one of the NBA’s best two-way players. Carter is versatile, contributes to nearly every aspect of the game, and could improve offensively if his college numbers project to the pro level.