The Los Angeles Lakers are still looking to put the finishing touches on their roster following a major offseason overhaul.
Jonathan Kuminga and P.J. Washington headline the speculation surrounding potential additions, while Jake LaRavia and Jarred Vanderbilt could be among the players moved to facilitate another significant deal.
Another name whose future remains uncertain is third-year guard Dalton Knecht, who has found himself on the fringes of the Lakers’ rotation for quite some time.
Los Angeles has reportedly explored trade opportunities involving Knecht for more than a year, but a suitable deal has yet to materialize.
Lakers Criticized for Handling of Dalton Knecht’s Development
Since his rescinded trade to the Charlotte Hornets in February 2025, Knecht has struggled to rediscover the form that made him one of the Lakers’ early standouts during his rookie campaign.
However, Lake Show Life’s Colin Keane believes the blame does not fall entirely on the 25-year-old.
“Knecht’s had an up-and-down NBA career with the Lakers, and it’s not entirely his fault,” Keane wrote. “There have been some things beyond Knecht’s control that have messed with his development, such as his rescinded trade to the Charlotte Hornets.”
“Knecht’s defensive flaws make him dispensable, but it still feels like the Lakers missed out on a really solid NBA player by yanking Knecht around and being careless with his development. I wouldn’t be surprised if he sticks somewhere else and turns into a productive rotational player in the years to come.”
Keane argues that the Lakers have failed to make Knecht’s development a priority, something that may have impacted his confidence and contributed to his slide down the rotation.
Given Los Angeles’ continued need for wing depth, Keane also described the team’s willingness to trade Knecht as “a tad surprising.”
He believes the Lakers should hold onto Knecht until another wing is secured and remains “baffled” by the organization’s reluctance to prioritize his development into, at minimum, a serviceable option off the bench.
Across 54 regular-season appearances last season, Knecht averaged 4.2 points and 1.4 rebounds in 10.2 minutes per game while shooting 45.5% from the field and 34.2% from three-point range.
Knecht Remains Stuck in Difficult Position in LA
Much of Knecht’s playing time came earlier in the season, with his opportunities dramatically declining down the stretch.
He logged just 36 minutes in February, 15 in March, and 38 in April, appearing in only 16 games across that span. His limited role continued even as the Lakers dealt with significant injuries in the backcourt, including the absences of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Knecht’s opportunities became even more limited in the postseason, where he played just 18 total minutes across five appearances after falling almost entirely out of the rotation.
He now enters the third season of a four-year, $18 million rookie-scale contract and is set to earn $4.2 million in 2026-27. The Lakers hold a $6.4 million team option for the final year of the deal.
“Knecht is in that no-man’s land of having very little trade value but still being decent enough to provide you minutes on a standard rookie contract,” Keane added. “This feels like a guy you should try to keep (especially if you need wing depth) rather than trade for nothing or worse, release.”
Despite his struggles to establish himself in the NBA rotation, Knecht showed encouraging signs during assignments with the Lakers’ G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers.
Across four appearances last season, he averaged 21.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.0 combined steals and blocks, while shooting 50.9% from the field and 39.1% from beyond the arc.
Given the flashes he has already shown, it would hardly be surprising if Knecht eventually found a fresh start elsewhere and developed into a legitimate NBA rotation player.
For now, though, both he and the Lakers remain stuck in an awkward position, waiting for a trade opportunity that has so far failed to materialize.
Lakers Blasted for “Careless” Handling of Dalton Knecht Saga