Heading into his third season, there is an air of uncertainty around Dalton Knecht. Whether he remains part of the Los Angeles Lakers setup for the upcoming season remains to be seen even though he would likely take part in training camp.
It’s been a rollercoaster past few months for the forward as he was close to being traded from the Lakers to the Charlotte Hornets at the trade deadline. That deal fell through and for the rest of the season and all this summer, there has been constant speculation over his future in the franchise.
According to ClutchPoints’ David Yapkowitz, Knecht’s future in L.A. has been hanging in the balance after that collapsed move.
“Ever since then, his name has seemingly come up in trade rumors, but the Lakers have not yet moved him,” Yapkowitz wrote. “He had chances last season to reintegrate himself into the rotation, but was unable to seize the opportunity. He’s still on his rookie deal, and the Lakers have already picked up his option for this season, but he’s an expiring contract too in the sense that he has another team option for 2027-28.”
The Lakers currently have one more standard contracted player than the league maximum. It has positioned several minute stars like Knecht as candidates to be moved or cut if the situation demands.
Lakers Likely to Trade Dalton Knecht to Trim Roster
Knecht isn’t the only name on the potential list to be moved. However, as cases go on being on the roster, the 25-year-old star doesn’t have a really strong backing to even get reasonable minutes in the deep rotation. At least pending any evaluation from training camp and preseason.
The Lakers are currently stacked at the forward position and may still explore another addition following the miss on Jonathan Kuminga. They have Quentin Grimes as a likely starting piece and the new additions Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams and rookie Cameron Carr who may even be ahead of Knecht in the rotation.
Knecht played 54 games last season which was a drop from his rookie year and his minutes also reduced. With the roster overhaul, there is a slim chance that his minutes improve from last season.
Options Available for Knecht’s Situation
The Lakers may look for ways to move Knecht rather than cut him. That may not be difficult salary-wise as he is currently on an exercised team option of roughly $4.2 million for 2026-27. He also has a team option for the final year which means that Los Angeles holds the cards on how to go about his future.
“The deadline to pick up Knecht’s option for next season is Oct. 31. If not, he will hit unrestricted free agency in the offseason,” Yapkowitz added. “And while he was an older rookie, there is the chance that another team is still intrigued with what he showed early that season, and believes a change of scenery could unlock that again. Expect to hear his name come up as the Lakers’ deadline to trim the roster gets closer.”
Knecht won’t be fetching the Lakers any serious return alone, even in the failed move to Charlotte, he was packaged with Cam Reddish and a first-round pick for center Mark Williams.
Finding a package would mean that L.A. adds at least another piece plus maybe some draft capital for an addition—something like a wing which they have been speculated to explore.
Knecht still has the ceiling to grow but it doesn’t look like it would happen in L.A. A less competitive environment where he can get significant minutes could be what he needs.
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