As Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick himself has said and acknowledged, there's a, "Human element," to playing in the NBA. Though the money that athletes make and the fame that comes with it can taint our vision of players, they're susceptible to the same emotional rollercoasters as the rest of us.
No Lakers player has reflected that truth more over the past two seasons than Dalton Knecht, whom Los Angeles will learn to regret their failings with if they don't right the ship.
The Lakers were viewed as big winners on the night of the 2024 NBA Draft when Knecht unexpectedly fell to them at No. 17 overall. He was commonly projected to not only be a lottery pick, but come off the board within the top 10 after a magical 2023-24 season with the Tennessee Volunteers.
It started well for the three-level scoring threat, as he turned heads with a 37-point eruption and entered the Rookie of the Year conversation by averaging 12.2 points on .497/.439/.889 shooting through his first two months in the NBA.
Unfortunately, the trade for Luka Doncic put the finishing touches on the evolution of Knecht's role within the Lakers' rotation. Los Angeles couldn't justify playing [another perimeter player who struggles on defense](https://lakeshowlife.com/jj-redick-unlocked-key-to-lakers-defense-not-what-fans-think) given the concerns over inconsistency from Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves, and Knecht's lesser impact on offense ultimately made him the odd player out.
Though it's understandable for Lakers head coach JJ Redick to have prioritized in the manner he has, the team's inability to find any role for Knecht beyond what he's played is an absolute failing.
Lakers haunted by what could've been with Dalton Knecht
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The unavoidable truth about Knecht is that he proved in 2024-25 that he has the talent and skill level to produce in the NBA. It's unclear how the past year of erratic opportunities to play has impacted his development, but Los Angeles saw early and often how gifted he is.
That doesn't necessarily mean he's due for stardom in a better situation, but a player who can shoot the lights out, score with volume, and play off of their teammates in their rookie season is at least worth something.
Instead of developing Knecht and allowing him to play his way through the learning curve, however, the Lakers have effectively made him a non-factor in the rotation. In turn, they've gone from having one talented up-and-comer on a rookie-scale deal getting consistent minutes to none.
In an NBA that's become defined by the quality of a team's depth chart, it's unforgivable that the Lakers have no discernable prospects to develop with immediate minutes.
Lakers don't have any up-and-comers in prominent roles
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Even if readers aren't sold on Knecht, he represented a necessary opportunity for Los Angeles to finally build from within. It experienced cost-efficient success doing exactly that with Reaves, whose steady development and team-friendly salary permitted the front office to take chances elsewhere.
Reaves will turn 28 in May, however, and is expected by most to sign a contract worth no less than $30 million per season this coming summer.
Jake LaRavia is 24 and thriving in Redick's rotation, but he'll be an unrestricted free agent at the end of next season. Adou Thiero is a promising talent who could help resolve part of this issue, but he's averaging just 5.8 minutes per game in 2025-26. The same goes for Bronny James at 6.9.
To make matters worse, the Lakers will be without first-round draft picks in 2027 and 2029 after previously trading their selections away in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. The [players drafted with those picks](https://lakeshowlife.com/deandre-hunter-lakers-trade-rumors-have-fans-worried-about-rob-pelinka) include Dyson Daniels, De'Andre Hunter, and Jaden McDaniels.
With Knecht in just the second season of a four-year deal, with a history of explosive performances and efficient shooting, it's thus impossible to avoid how their failure to develop him will haunt the Lakers.