The Los Angeles Lakers didn’t trade Dalton Knecht at the deadline for the second year in a row. Yet when it came time for the team’s depth to shine—as Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Austin Reaves, and more were out on Tuesday night—Knecht still didn’t play a ton of minutes. It’s clear that JJ Redick has [little to no faith in him](https://lakeshowlife.com/lakers-make-dalton-knecht-situation-worse-baffling-luke-kennard-trade).
With the Lakers’ star core sitting on the bench, Knect still didn’t get the start. Instead, Redick rolled out a first five of Kobe Bufkin, Luke Kennard, Jake LaRavia, Rui Hachimura, and Jaxson Hayes. Knecht came off the bench and played just 16:17, failing to even crack the 20-minute mark.
It was the ultimate sign of a lack of faith.
**The Lakers clearly don't believe in Dalton Knecht**
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Knecht could have played 30 minutes. He could have been the star of the show. The Lakers’ leading scorer on a night when they only managed to produce 108 points off offense against the Spurs.
Instead, in his limited minutes, Knecht only put up nine points, five rebounds, and one assist while shooting 4-of-8 from the field and 0-of-2 from beyond the three-point arc.
Of players at his position (wing/guard), the only guy on the roster who played fewer minutes than Knecht was undrafted rookie two-way player Chris Mañon, who got on the floor for a team-low 7:44 of action.
Here are some of the guys who played more than Knecht—the Lakers’ first-round pick last season—on Tuesday night against the Spurs: Kennard, Bukin, Nick Smith Jr., and Bronny James.
Almost every single player who could have played over Knecht at his position did. And yet, when the Lakers had a chance to ship him out at the deadline, they didn’t.
Perhaps there were no teams around the NBA willing to take Knecht, but that seems unlikely. Teams like the Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, Washington Wizards, and others should constantly be scouring the trade landscape for young talent looking for a new home elsewhere.
But no. Knecht is still a Laker. Yet Redick refuses to play him real minutes.
Tuesday night was a perfect opportunity for Knecht to be let off the leash. To get a bunch of shots and try to help carry the load on the offensive end.
But Redick is seeing something that he doesn’t like. Because Knecht didn’t even get high-end bench minutes in a Lakers rotation that was as depleted as can be.
At this point, it seems as though the Lakers’ thoughts on Knecht are clear as day.