It’s challenging to envision Dalton Knecht having a productive tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Tennessee product oozed potential in Year 1, but has regressed significantly since then. Knecht, who hasn’t been an impactful contributor with Los Angeles this season, demanded a trade from the franchise shortly before the deadline.
Ultimately, a deal never materialized, leaving the Lakers stuck with the 6-foot-6 guard for the rest of the 2025-26 season (and possibly) longer. Last Friday, the franchise received brutal trade news regarding Knecht after the Feb. 5 deadline.
“The Lakers landed on trading one future free agent, Gabe Vincent, for another in Luke Kennard, surrendering the only second-round pick they had to offer,” The Athletic’s Dan Woike reported. “They were unable to offload any other players, including Dalton Knecht, who league sources say the Lakers shopped aggressively.”
Judging by Woike's report, the Lakers tried their best to wash their hands of Knecht this year, but failed to find a trade suitor for the former No. 17 overall pick.
It’s safe to assume that Los Angeles is struggling to stomach the fact that their aggressive attempt to trade Knecht was unsuccessful. The 17-time NBA champions were ready to move on from the 24-year-old and hopefully land an asset that could be a noticeable upgrade moving forward.
Although landing Kennard in their Feb. 5 trade involving Vincent should prove beneficial for the Lakers down the line, it won’t help them resolve their ongoing Knecht issue.
Needless to say, Los Angeles isn’t thrilled that Knecht is still on its roster despite its valiant effort to send him packing.
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