The Los Angeles Lakers made a significant upgrade to their roster with the Marcus Smart signing, but they’re not quite done. According to multiple insiders, the franchise is looking to trade second-year wing Dalton Knecht, specifically to shore up their perimeter point-of-attack defense.
Unfortunately, the Lakers were dealt bad news in their attempt to trade Knecht. According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, Knecht has very little trade value around the league and is unlikely to yield a valuable return for the Lakers.
“Summer League has not helped Knecht’s stock, and I don’t think at this point he is valued as a first-round pick, in terms of an asset valuation,” Buha said on his podcast, while reviewing the Lakers’ decision to sign Smart.
“That was what I heard in Vegas from talking to multiple people, non-Lakers people, just gauging what would you give for Dalton Knecht? Or if the Lakers are putting Dalton Knecht in a trade, what is he worth? And the feedback I got was, no longer worth a first-round valuation.”
Knecht Struggles in Summer League
The second-year player had a torrid time in the 2025-26 Las Vegas Summer League. In three games, he averaged 10.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists while shooting a paltry 27.9% from the field and 23.8% from three. The latter number was particularly shocking, considering that Knecht thrives with his three-point shooting.
In the 2024-25 Summer League, Knecht was the standout performer for the Lakers, as he averaged 21.3 points on 40% shooting from deep, solidying himself as a solid first-round pick. That success translated into the regular season, as he averaged 9.1 points and 2.8 rebounds at 37.6% shooting from three. In fact, he was one of the best shooters in his rookie class, making a strong case to make one of the All-Rookie Teams.
Lakers No Longer Value Knecht?
It was widely expected that Knecht would take a leap in his second season, possibly becoming an integral part of the Lakers’ second unit. However, according to multiple insiders, the Lakers no longer view him as a foundational piece of their future.
“Dalton Knecht’s name has come up in plenty of trade discussions this summer after he was sent out in that infamously rescinded Mark Williams deal last season,” ClutchPoints’ Anthony Irwin reported on July 3. “Rui Hachimura is a popular target of other teams who call the Lakers, as well. Austin Reaves, even after turning down a max extension to remain with the Lakers, is not considered likely to be moved.”
The report added that the Miami Heat sought Knecht and a first-round pick from the Lakers in exchange for veteran wing Andrew Wiggins, but were turned down.
It now remains to be seen if the Los Angeles Lakers can use Knecht in a trade to upgrade the roster. In the meantime, Lakers fans have reasons aplenty to celebrate courtesy of the Marcus Smart signing. Smart will instantly bring grit, leadership, defensive tenacity and playoff experiece to a Lakers team that was accused of being “soft” in their playoff series loss to the Timberwolves.
Lakers Get Bad News On Roster Fixes After Marcus Smart Signing