Dalton Knecht named potential trade candidate for Lakers image
Feb 12, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Dalton Knecht (4) shoots before a game against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images
The Los Angeles Lakers’ current roster situation makes another offseason trade inevitable this summer.
Essentially, Los Angeles is over the 15-man limit (standard contracts) after signing Matisse Thybulle to a one-year deal on Monday, meaning that the franchise must make another move to help them abide by the NBA’s non-negotiable roster rule.
Lakers insider Jovan Buha believes that cutting ties with Dalton Knecht is a viable option for Los Angeles.
"Clearly, the Lakers need to dump someone, and I think it's going to be one of three players," Buha said Monday. "It's going to either be Dalton Knecht, Jaden Hardy, or Bronny James."
Remaining with the Lakers would do more harm to Knecht and his career/development than good. The Tennessee product struggled to find minutes in Year 2 with the Lakers following a strong rookie season, and with Los Angeles drafting a wing with a more well-rounded skill set (Cameron Carr), it’s reasonable to assume he’ll move further down the franchise’s depth chart.
Knecht averaged 4.2 points per game with the Lakers last season, shooting 45.5% from the field and 34.2% from beyond the arc while continuing to be a below-average defender. Needless to say, a Knecht-centered trade is necessary for the former first-round pick to ascend and the Lakers to improve their win-now roster.
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