The Los Angeles Lakers selected Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht with the No. 17 overall pick of the 2024 draft.
They did not have a second-round pick. But they were active in the immediate aftermath of the draft, inking five players to deals as undrafted free agents. Among them was 6-foot-9 forward Armel Traore.
Traore spent the last three years in France’s A league, slitting his tenure between three teams.
But in a sign of how global the NBA has become – and the Lakers’ role in that, Traore sent a heartfelt post on X on June 30 about his new deal with a nod to the late Kobe Bryant:
I grew up as Kobe fan,” Traore posted on X on June 30. “Now it’s time for me to start my journey in the NBA with this amazing franchise and fans
@Lakers Appreciate you for the opportunity I’m ready
I’m so blessed and thankful Al Hamdoulilah for everything
Let’s get to work !
#RIPGPA 111-14 #LakeShow
Traore averaged 10.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists at ADA Blois last season.
“Traore has been on the radar with a strong, 6’8″ frame, charged motor and instincts for scoring, rebounding and anticipating defensively,” Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman wrote on June 27. “But he took a disappointing step backward this season as a 3-point shooter.”
Traore is a low-volume shooter, averaging 1.6 deep attempts per game over the last two seasons.
He went from 45.8% on 1.3 attempts in 18 games in 2022-23 to 26.2% on 1.8 tries from beyond the arc last season.
Armel Traore’s Skillset a ‘Perfect Fit’ for NBA
The disappointment in Traore’s 2023-24 season underscores the promise he presented during the evaluation process.
“He showed his athleticism by finishing at the rim with power, but also on the defensive end of the floor, where he was a factor not only as a rim protector, but also as a perimeter defender, containing drivers in with his lateral mobility,” Sports Illustrated’s Draft Digest staff wrote in 2022.
“It was an up-and-down season for Traore, but the skillset he provides is a perfect fit for the NBA game. With a successful pre-draft process, he could be a quality project pick for a team.”
He still provided a glimpse into what he could do and continued to flash this past season.
“Playing alongside wunderkid Victor Wembanyama in the 2019 FIBA U16 European Championship and the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup, he captured silver medals in both junior international competitions,” EuroHoops.net’s Johnny Askounis wrote on June 28. “In the 2023 FIBA U20 European Championship, he contributed 8.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in the run to gold medals for Les Bleus.”
Lakers’ Armel Traore Could Be 2024 Draft Steal
SI projected Traore to be a second-round pick, so the Lakers could be poised to have one of the 2024 draft’s steals if he delivers on his previous intrigue.
The Lakers also need to keep the pipeline of young players going.
They have unearthed some gems in recent years, with two-time All-Defensive teamer Alex Caruso and current Laker Austin Reaves among their more notable discoveries. Traore is vying to be the next in line and already has a personal connection to the franchise.
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