The Minnesota Timberwolves have a chance to make their roster better at the expense of one of their major Western Conference rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers.
At the center of the opportunity right now is Dalton Knecht.
Knecht is a former first-round pick who was waived by the Lakers earlier this week to get their roster legal by the NBA’s cutdown deadline. It was Knecht who was the final cut and not Bronny James, as LeBron’s son made the team despite the King now playing in Philadelphia.
It’s a brutal outcome for Knecht, who has not yet lived up to his hype in the NBA — but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t help a lot of teams, including Minnesota.
Timberwolves Get Dalton Knecht Signing Update
The under-the-radar NBA insider who runs the Ary Report is reporting that Knecht and the Timberwolves could join forces.
The report indicates that Knecht seems likely to clear waivers, and that if that does indeed happen, the Timberwolves would look to sign the player who would then be a free agent:
Former Lakers forward Dalton Knecht is expected to have multiple suitors for a potential two-way NBA contract once he clears waivers, with the Minnesota Timberwolves prime among them, league sources tell @TheConsensusNBA. Knecht was the No. 17 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
— Aryan (@Ary_Report) October 21, 2026
There have not been additional reports about this yet, but the details add up. Knecht is just a couple years removed from being a popular pick in the first round. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he gets another chance very quickly once he hits the open market.
The Timberwolves have solid guard depth, but another perimeter player wouldn’t hurt particularly as they await the long recovery of Donte DiVinenczo from his torn Achilles sustained in the first round of the playoffs.
Dalton Knecht Stats
Knecht was the No. 17 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft out of Tennessee after climbing the college basketball ladder from Northeastern Junior College to the University of Northern Colorado to the Volunteers.
He was an impressive shooter, scorer and finisher in college.
In the NBA, Knecht has now played 132 games and has averaged 7.1 points, 2.2 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game. He has shot 46.0% from the field, 36.8% from 3-point range and 75.5% from the foul line.
Knecht’s numbers declined significantly from his rookie season to his second year as he didn’t show enough efficiency or playmaking to be a consistent member of the Lakers’ rotation.
The hope would be that Knecht could capture some of his All-American form from his lone year at Tennessee when he averaged 21.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 0.7 steals per game while shooting 39.7% from 3-point range on high volume.
There’s going to be some NBA team that takes a chance on him. Maybe it’ll be Minnesota.
Timberwolves Get Dalton Knecht Signing Update After Lakers Decision