By all accounts, the Los Angeles Lakers are expected to waive third-year wing Dalton Knecht to get to the NBA’s 15-man roster limit for the upcoming season.
Knecht has been outside of the Lakers’ roster the entire offseason, and after a few failed trade attempts, the team is expected to move on from the former 17th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
But while Knecht’s Lakers future looks like it is coming to an end, the shooter recently got good news about continuing his career in the league, even if it isn’t in Los Angeles.
Dalton Knecht Handed Good News, Could Have A Few Suitors
Speaking on a recent edition of his Clutch Scoops livestream, NBA insider Brett Siegel revealed that even if the Lakers decide to cut ties with Knecht, the young shooter could still have some potential suitors to sign him for the upcoming season.
“I think the biggest names I’m keeping an eye on right now, we talked about them last week, Dalton Knecht from the Los Angeles Lakers, Caris LeVert from the Milwaukee Bucks,” Siegel noted.
“There would certainly be intrigue from some of these teams that are rebuilding in a guy like Dalton Knecht,” Siegel said. “Maybe you take a chance on a young shooter if he becomes available.”
In terms of Knecht landing spots, a team like the Chicago Bulls could be a perfect fit if they would be willing to take on the $4.2 million he’s set to be owed this season. Other young squads like the Charlotte Hornets, Los Angeles Clippers, Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons, Memphis Grizzlies, Utah Jazz, or Phoenix Suns could also use his youth and three-point shooting ability if they are interested in making one final move before the new season.
However, despite Siegel’s comments, Lakers insider Jovan Buha recently shared an opposing opinion. Buha believes Knecht doesn’t have a strong market around the league, and if waived by Los Angeles, could have trouble looking for his next NBA job due to the roster crunch other teams are also facing.
“He’s in a tough spot because most rosters are full, or actually, over-full,” Buha said. “I just don’t see a realistic landing spot where someone is gonna claim him off waivers or trade for him solo.”
“Assuming he gets waived, which I think is the most likely outcome right now, I think he lands somewhere on a two-way (deal). And then I think he potentially plays his way from a two-way to a roster spot. But if you look across the league, go on Spotrac, look at every roster, there’s not some obvious roster that has two openings or an opening for Dalton. Every roster is full. … I think he’s gonna kind of have to work his way up.”
Knecht could sign a two-way deal elsewhere, but until the Lakers make a final decision, he’ll have to wait for his future to be confirmed, and potentially start looking at new opportunities outside of the Purple and Gold organization.
Lakers Still Expected To Cut Ties With Former First-Round Pick
Though Knecht could find his way onto a new NBA roster before the 2026-27 season, it still looks like he’s going to be off the Lakers roster by October 19, the final day the team has to decide on the 15 players they’ll be taking into the new campaign.
Previously, Knecht, along with Jaden Hardy and Bronny James, were the top candidates Los Angeles was expected to move on from this season, but the other two appear to be safe for the time being.
The Lakers also attempted to move a combination of Jarred Vanderbilt, Knecht, Hardy, and one of their draft assets in a trade earlier this summer, but haven’t had any luck, as it doesn’t look like opposing teams are willing to give up any of their players to help Los Angeles fix its current roster issues.
As Siegel recently reported, it just looks like Knecht’s time with the Lakers is coming to an end.
“Overall, the Lakers’ roster crunch is certainly centered on Knecht,” he wrote. “He is a player the team has been trying to move for quite some time (and actually did if you remember the failed Mark Williams trade with Charlotte), as things just haven’t worked out for the 25-year-old.”
In his first two NBA seasons with the Lakers, Knecht has put up 7.1 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 0.7 assists on 46/36.8/75.5 shooting splits in 132 total games.
Dalton Knecht Gets Good News Just Before Lakers Cut Ties