3 Rookies the 76ers will regret not drafting after Summer League

1. Dalton Knecht would have been a perfect 76ers draft pick

Last is a prospect whom the 76ers could have taken outright and unconditionally before they went for McCain — Dalton Knecht. He was taken 17th overall, just a spot after the 76ers’ draft order, by the Los Angeles Lakers, and was instantly touted as the ultimate steal of the 2024 NBA Draft. After all, most draft boards had him slotted higher, and his relative drop-off was quite surprising.

Sans any scrutiny against McCain, the 76ers would have easily been named among the biggest winners of the 2024 draft had they pulled the rug on the Lakers and taken Knecht for themselves. The Tennessee product showcased why he’s one of the most NBA-ready prospects in Vegas, logging 21.3 points a game, capably scoring on all three levels, and displaying similarly NBA-ready defense.

One could argue that Knecht boasts a higher ceiling than McCain, an undersized combo guard whose shot was hot-and-cold during the Summer League. It remains to be seen whether Knecht can sustain his level of play against legitimate NBA-level competition, but if McCain doesn’t pan out and the former thrives under a similar pressure-packed environment with the Lakers, it wouldn’t be a great look for Philadelphia.