It is safe to say that the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2024 draft picks have been hotly debated. Dalton Knecht has gone from being praised as a possible draft steal to being on the Lakers’ cut radar, while Bronny James continues to be one of the most controversial draft selections in NBA history.
But this preseason has continued to show one thing: the Lakers value James considerably more than Knecht, who is poised to be either traded or waived before the regular season tips off in less than three weeks.
Knecht, 25, got off to a promising start as a rookie before his momentum went spiraling. Whether how he started his career was just an outlier or it was indeed that Mark Williams trade that shook his confidence, the Lakers may have no way forward with the former first round pick after his performance last season.
The Expectation for the Lakers and Knecht
The Lakers’ roster situation has often been brought up. L.A. has 16 players, which is one more than the NBA permits. That means one of two things could happen before the regular season starts: a consolidation trade or someone gets waived. Whatever the outcome, Knecht is expected to be involved.
“Until Thursday, Knecht wasn’t mentioned — directly or indirectly — by (head coach JJ) Redick or president of basketball operations/general manager Rob Pelinka during any of their media availabilities,” wrote Khobi Price of the California Post. “Other wing players such as free agent additions Quentin Grimes, Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams, second-year forward Adou Thiero or rookie wing Cameron Carr had gotten significantly more attention as discussion points. Not a good sign for Knecht, whom multiple rival executives expect to be the odd man out as the Lakers look to trim their roster from 16 players on standard NBA deals to the league maximum of 15.”
That is tough news for Knecht. But — brace for the cliché of all clichés — on the bright side, Knecht is young enough and flashed more than enough promise as a rookie that it would be surprising if another team didn’t quickly give him an opportunity.
“First of all, he’s been a pro,” Redick said of Knecht on Thursday. “He’s been in the gym. Like he has since Day 1, he has worked his butt off all offseason. And he’s had a good three days of practice. So I don’t think his approach changes. I know he’s hungry to play and hungry to earn a spot in the rotation.”
L.A. Facing a Knecht Time Crunch
Although Knecht could be waived or traded long before then, the Lakers have until the end of October to make a decision on the 25-year-old’s team-option for the 2026-27 season.
“The Lakers are dealing with a roster crunch heading into training camp,” NBA insider Brett Siegel said during a recent episode of the “ClutchScoops” podcast. “They’re gonna have to cut somebody in order to get down to that 15-man roster ahead of the start of the season. … There’s gonna be a lot of pressure on Dalton Knecht to fight for this roster spot with Jarden Hardy in training camp. One of them is most likely gonna be cut, and it wouldn’t shock me if it ended up being Dalton Knecht. But it is really gonna depend on what happens here in training camp.”
If the preseason ramp up goes well for Knecht — which, by the sound of it, hasn’t thus far — there is a chance the Lakers give him a last-ditch opportunity to prove himself.
Lakers Expected to Make Brutal Roster Decision on Polarizing 2024 Draft Pick