The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to waive Dalton Knecht if the team can’t find a trade partner for the third-year wing heading into the 2026-27 season.
Knecht’s time with the Lakers has been up and down, but over the past few months, he’s been firmly on the outside of the roster; recent reporting indicates he’ll be the final player waived, ahead of names like Bronny James and Jaden Hardy.
The Lakers tried to trade Knecht during his rookie season, and since then, his production and minutes have dropped. Now, with less than a week before the franchise has to make a final decision on his future, the reasons why the 17th overall pick in the 2024 Draft has been on the chopping block were finally revealed.
Dalton Knecht Finally Gets Answer On Bleak Status By Insider
Responding to fan questions during a Reddit AMA, Lakers reporter Dan Woike of The Athletic revealed some of the reasons why the franchise doesn’t view Knecht as a player they’d like to keep around long term.
“The biggest issue with Dalton Knecht hasn’t been shooting and hasn’t been defensive effort. It’s been processing. The way one scout put it to me that’s stuck with me – Knecht’s on-court IQ isn’t strong enough for him to just think the game and he’s not instinctual enough to just go play freely,” he wrote. Obviously, he’s been in a tough spot with the org. since the Mark Williams deal, and almost everyone agrees that if it’s going to happen for him, it’ll need to be somewhere else.”
Knecht’s performance and playing time this past year dropped from his rookie season, as he spent more time in the G League instead of on the first team.
During his first few months in the NBA, he looked like he had true potential to be a rotational piece for the Lakers, as seen with his highlight 37-point game.
However, in the time since, that’s changed, as he’s been a mainstay on the bench. During the team’s preseason games, it’s almost as if Knecht knows he’s on the way out, and as Woike said, even that mindset could be playing a part in his name being atop the chopping block, regardless of if it’s getting waived or traded.
“I can’t speak to what his mindset is other than I know he wishes he had more opportunity and I know the coaching staff wishes he played with more energy and urgency when he gets his chances in game,” Woike added. “It’s too bad because of how promising his first month with the Lakers was, but a shooting slump followed by the trade followed by positional blockage….just feels like he hasn’t been in any rhythm for more than a year and he’s a player, IMO, that needs to be in rhythm.”
The bad news for Knecht is that his future with the Lakers doesn’t look bright. The team has a few options to choose from if they are done with the young player, as they only have a few more days to make a final decision on his status for the upcoming season.
Lakers Can Trade Or Waive The Former First-Round Pick
The Lakers have until October 19 at 2 p.m. PST to make a final decision on Knecht, and all signs point to him either getting traded or waived.
Knecht has been in a roster battle with James and Hardy for who will be the final player off the team, and the reporting over the past few months continues to signal it will be the former Tennessee Volunteers star.
However, though the Lakers still need to cut down the roster by one player, trade rumors have ramped up over the past few days.
First, it was team insider Jovan Buha who stated that the Lakers have been trying to trade Knecht for a while, and predicted the team would make a move before the season begins.
“I think the Lakers are gonna explore a trade,” he said on a previous Buha’s Block episode. “They’re gonna try to do some sort of either dump a player somewhere or a consolidation trade. But if they can’t and it comes down to waiving someone, my prediction would be Dalton Knecht is the one that gets waived.”
More recently, it was NBA insiders Jake Fischer and Brett Siegel who reported on the team’s hopes of making a deal, with Knecht firmly on the trade block.
“As the 2026-27 season draws near and teams contemplate roster spots, the Knicks and Lakers have both actively been exploring trade talks to move Pacome Dadiet and Dalton Knecht, respectively,” Siegel wrote in a post on X.
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In the past, the Lakers haven’t been able to find a trade package sending out Knecht and Jarred Vanderbilt, the two players they’ve been trying to move. That doesn’t mean they can’t get a deal done before the start of the season, but as they’re on a ticking clock, that outcome doesn’t feel likely at this point.
As Woike mentioned regarding the reasons why Knecht is sitting on the outside of the Lakers roster, he just doesn’t have a ton of value around the league. With that, it has been and will continue to be tough for the franchise to find a rival team that wants to take him.
All of that being said, the most likely outcome for Knecht is that he’s waived by October 19 after a messy tenure in Los Angeles.
Dalton Knecht Finally Gets Answer Why Lakers Want To Cut Ties