Lakers, Lakers trade, Dalton Knecht
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Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs reacts as he is guarded by Dalton Knecht #4 and Rui Hachimura #28 of the Los Angeles Lakers during a 118-116 Los Angeles Lakers win over the San Antonio Spurs at Crypto.com Arena on November 05, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
The Los Angeles Lakers have reportedly generated little to no trade interest in second-year wing Dalton Knecht ahead of the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline.
Per multiple insiders, the Lakers hope to use Knecht as a sweetener in potential deals along with the expiring contracts of Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent and Maxi Kleber. According to insider Evan Sidery, Knecht has not piqued any interest from rival teams.
“The Lakers have discovered little to no trade interest on Dalton Knecht,” Sidery reported on X.
“Los Angeles is shopping Knecht alongside expiring contracts to acquire a notable rotation upgrade. Knecht is averaging 7.7 points while shooting 36.4% on threes since being drafted No. 17 overall in 2024.”
Lakers Trade Chip: Dalton Knecht
Knecht, drafted No. 17 overall by the Lakers last year, was previously earmarked as “the steal” of the 2024 NBA Draft, with Lakers head coach JJ Redick expressing elation when the Tennessee alum fell outside the lottery. Redick was so thrilled that he reportedly began drawing up plays for Knecht — a movement shooter with good size — immediately after last year’s Draft and tipped him as a key part of his future core.
However, Knecht has clearly not panned out through his one-and-a-half seasons with the Lakers. The 24-year-old has been DNP’ed by Redick since the Jan. 19 win over the Toronto Raptors, when he played just two minutes of garbage time.
That wasn’t the case at the start of the season, when Knecht was as a key piece of the Lakers rotation, logging 19.2 minutes in October and 15.5 minutes in November. Those numbers dipped drastically to 7.8 in December, leading to a brief G League stint.
Lakers Trade Deadline Plans
In his only G League game, Knecht dropped 30 points before being called back to the Lakers. He has since received limited opportunities or just garbage time minutes.
At the start of the year, Redick told the media that Knecht would get more opportunities in light of Austin Reaves’ extended absence.
“Yeah, Dalton will get a look for the foreseeable future,” Redick said ahead of the first game of 2026. “Play hard. That’s the biggest point of emphasis for him all season. He’s not gonna be judged on whether he makes or misses shots, but that helps.”
“When you go through a stretch where you feel like your team isn’t playing hard, you gotta play the guys that are consistently playing hard. I think he’s had some really good moments already this season and I think for him, probably the next week or so, he’s gonna have consistent playing time and consistent opportunities.”
The Lakers are reportedly scoring the league for 3-and-D wings before the NBA trade deadline. They’ve been linked to the likes of Miami Heat’s Andrew Wiggins, Sacramento Kings’ Keon Ellis, Denver Nuggets‘ Peyton Watson, Cleveland Cavaliers’ De’Andre Hunter, Golden State Warriors‘ Jonathan Kuminga and Charlotte Hornets’ Miles Bridges. They’ve also been linked to big men such as the New Orleans Pelicans‘ Yves Missi, Dallas Mavericks‘ Daniel Gafford and the Brooklyn Nets’ Nic Claxton.
The Lakers, who rank 25th in defensive rating, could use some defensive upgrades ahead of their playoff push.