Lakers predicted to trade Dalton Knecht for $53M 3-and-D sharpshooter in mega 3-team deal image
The Los Angeles Lakers currently have 16 players on their roster, which is one above the league's allowed limit. They will have some decisions to make over the next couple of months, but there are still several areas of the roster that need to be addressed.
LA has undergone a major roster overhaul this summer, but it remains unclear whether the team is truly better than it was a season ago. The Lakers are also still in need of a starting power forward.
“Then, there is the power forward position. This is the last domino among the starting lineup that really does not have full clarity just yet. There are certainly players internally, and even externally, who could fill the vacancy,” Lake Show Life’s Svyatoslav Rovenchuk wrote.
There are only a handful of players LA could realistically pursue at power forward. Two names that could potentially be moved at some point are Jarred Vanderbilt and Dalton Knecht.
“The Lakers are actively shopping Dalton Knecht and Jarred Vanderbilt in trade talks. After gaining two second-round picks in the Deandre Ayton trade, Los Angeles could consolidate those assets in a deal immediately for a starting-caliber wing," NBA reporter Evan Sidery wrote.
The Lakers would like to find a reliable player who can step into the starting lineup. In a proposed trade idea, Heavy.com’s Adel Ahmad has Los Angeles acquiring veteran Grant Williams while sending Knecht and Jaden Hardy out in a three-team deal.
“Lakers receive: Grant Williams and a 2030 second round pick (from LAC, via TOR). Clippers receive: Jaden Hardy and Dalton Knecht. Hornets receive: a 2031 second round pick (from LAL, via WAS),” Ahmad wrote.
While Williams might not necessarily become the starting power forward, he would give the Lakers another option because of his ability to defend positions one through five. He is also a more reliable option to station in the corner and knock down three-pointers.
Williams is currently on a $53 million contract with the Charlotte Hornets. This deal would make sense for LA because it would bring the Lakers down to the league's roster limit while allowing them to move on from two players who have already been mentioned as potential roster casualties.
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