The Los Angeles Lakers solved their opening-night roster problem Monday. Lakers insider Jovan Buha believes the price was far greater than losing a reserve who had fallen out of favor.
The Lakers waived Dalton Knecht, their 2024 first-round pick, after failing to find a trade partner before the NBA’s roster deadline.
The move reduced Los Angeles’ roster from 16 guaranteed contracts to 15, allowing Bronny James and Jaden Hardy to retain their spots ahead of Wednesday’s season opener against the Golden State Warriors.
But Buha questioned how the franchise allowed an asset that once carried significant trade value to leave without receiving anything in return.
“I think they mismanaged him as an asset,” Buha said. “They should have traded him that summer after his rookie season, and certainly should have traded him last season.”
For Buha, Knecht’s departure represents a larger problem with the Lakers’ recent first-round selections.
Jovan Buha Calls Dalton Knecht Decision a ‘Disaster’
Knecht’s release was hardly unexpected.
The Lakers had reportedly explored trades involving the former Tennessee standout for more than a year, with negotiations intensifying during the offseason and training camp.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein of The Stein Line, the Lakers spent the weekend trying to find a deal for Knecht.
NBA insider Jake Fischer previously reported that Los Angeles discussed a possible trade with Milwaukee involving center Jericho Sims.
Nothing materialized.
The Lakers ultimately cut Knecht, who averaged 4.2 points last season after showing considerable promise as a rookie.
“This is a bit of a disaster because this is back-to-back first-round picks that they’ve wasted with Jalen Hood-Schifino in 2023 and Dalton Knecht in 2024,” Buha said.
The comparison is difficult for Los Angeles to ignore.
The Lakers selected Hood-Schifino with the 17th overall pick in 2023, then used the same selection on Knecht one year later.
Neither developed into the dependable rotation player the franchise envisioned.
Knecht initially appeared capable of breaking that trend.
He averaged 9.1 points as a rookie, including a memorable 37-point performance against Utah in November 2024.
His value appeared to peak when the Lakers agreed to send him to Charlotte in February 2025 as part of a trade for center Mark Williams.
But the deal was rescinded after Williams failed Los Angeles’ medical evaluation.
Knecht returned to the Lakers, where his opportunities and production eventually declined.
L.A. Faces Questions About Back-to-Back Wasted First-Round Picks
Buha argued that the rescinded Charlotte trade became a turning point in Knecht’s career.
He also questioned why the Lakers did not move the guard while he still had enough value to attract a meaningful return.
“So it’s another wasted first-round pick, another wasted asset for the Lakers,” Buha said.
Knecht’s struggles continued into the 2026 preseason.
He averaged just 2.8 points in four appearances, shooting 25% from the field and going scoreless in three games.
Buha suggested Knecht’s next opportunity could come on a two-way contract rather than another standard NBA deal.
That remains his assessment, not a confirmed indication of how interested teams value Knecht.
The Lakers, meanwhile, will carry Knecht’s guaranteed $4.2 million salary on their books unless another team claims him off waivers, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
Los Angeles met Monday’s roster deadline but failed to convert Knecht into the frontcourt help it had been seeking.
The decision leaves president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka facing an uncomfortable question.
How did two consecutive No. 17 picks produce so little lasting value?
For Buha, the issue extends beyond Knecht’s disappointing development.
It is what the Lakers failed to recover before letting him go.
Lakers’ ‘Disaster’ Move Exposes Larger Problem: Team Insider