It all looked so promising until it no longer was. From averaging nearly 22 points per game while shooting a tick below 40 percent from the 3-point line as a senior at Tennessee University to his early breakout as a rookie, Los Angeles Lakers forward Dalton Knecht may be looking for a new team soon.
Knecht, 25, has been rampantly speculated as a candidate to either be waived or traded. As preseason continues to gear up, the chatter has only grown louder, with many expecting Knecht to be the odd man out on an overgrown Lakers roster.
The Lakers don’t have much more time before they’ll have to trim the roster and get ready to play the Golden State Warriors on opening night.
Lakers Warned Knecht Decision Should Have Been Made Already
Whether the Lakers have tried to move Knecht dating back to last season’s trade deadline doesn’t dismiss the fact that the former first round pick probably should have been on a different team a while ago, notes Lake Show Life’s Svyatoslav Rovenchuk.
“For many, Knecht exiting Los Angeles is already overdue,” Rovenchuk wrote. “Things have never been quite right since that botched Mark Williams trade. That has brought us to this current stage of him fighting for an end-of-roster spot on the Lakers.”
If the Lakers continue to find no takers for Knecht, that could force the team’s hand to waive him. No matter the outcome, it is expected that Knecht won’t be in Los Angeles much longer.
“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,” wrote Khobi Price of the California Post. “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.”
Knecht is coming off an awfully-disappointing second season, with his numbers virtually dropping across the board. Even if the Lakers have an ounce of confidence that Knecht could tap back into was he was early in his rookie season, someone has to go, and no one has made a stronger case to be let go then Knecht.
Why L.A. Might Not Mind Straight Up Axing Knecht From Roster
It would be somewhat surprising if no team is willing to take a chance on Knecht; he is only 25 and has demonstrated some potential, albeit nearly two years ago at this point.
For the Lakers, they already have younger — and perhaps far more potent — options to look forward to developing. Players like Cameron Carr, Adou Thiero, and yes, even Bronny James are higher on the Lakers’ priority list. Carr, the team’s first-round pick in this year’s draft, has the highest expectations. And while it would sting to see a first round pick like Knecht go completely wasted, Carr could deliver enough to make the Lakers not feel the sting for a moment.
“Cameron Carr is better at everything that Dalton Knecht does well,” Lakers reporter Trevor Lane opined. “When it comes to his ability to score, he is also a three-level scorer, he’s longer, lankier, reads the game a bit better, better defensively certainly, and he’s got work to do defensively, but he’s better defensively right now than Dalton Knecht.”
The Lakers have until the end of October to make a decision on Knecht’s team-option for the 2027-28 season. But the 25-year-old wing could be out the door well before then.
Lakers Urged to Dump Former 22 PPG Playmaker as Decision ‘Already Overdue’