Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Dalton Knecht (4) shoots during the third quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
As the Oct. 19 roster deadline approached, all eyes were trained on the Los Angeles Lakers and their eventual decision concerning Dalton Knecht‘s future. While it seemed inevitable that Knecht’s time in L.A. was coming to an end, being waived may not have been beneficial for either side.
The opening night roster deadline is a pivotal moment for many end-of-bench players, primarily because it dictates their future with a franchise. Despite being a former first-round pick, Dalton Knecht unfortunately found himself in this situation following a disappointing drop-off in performance over the last year.
For the most part, the Lakers’ decision to waive Dalton Knecht may have been a last resort after failing to trade the 25-year-old forward. While this marks the end of his tenure with the Purple and Gold, however, Lakers insider Jovan Buha still expects Knecht to remain in the NBA. While reacting to the news of Knecht being waived, Buha shared:
“The Lakers have waived Dalton Knecht, trimming their roster from 16 players with guaranteed contracts to 15. They chose to retain Jaden Hardy and Bronny James over Knecht, and this is a really disappointing outcome, I think, for both parties.”
“For Knecht, this was a sign of his trade value,” Buha added. “ The Lakers have been trying to trade him for over a year, but especially this offseason and this training camp, and have been unable to strike a deal. I think he could land somewhere on a two-way contract, but I don’t see him landing on a 15-man contract right now. I would be pretty surprised by that. So, just the fall from grace from him, especially after his sky-high value early in his rookie season and ultimately culminating in the rescinded Mark Williams trade, which seems to be a turning point in his career.”
During the early segment of his rookie season, Dalton Knecht seemed to be exceeding expectations as a rotation piece for the Lakers. The forward’s confidence as a sharpshooter and scorer routinely inspired belief in his ability to be a significant contributor. Unfortunately, after his trade to the Charlotte Hornets was infamously rescinded, Knecht was visibly affected by it.
After struggling to find his form later in the campaign, Dalton Knecht continued to regress in his sophomore season. A series of poor outings during the Summer League and preseason raised concerns about his ability to remain productive, and after failing to return to form during the regular season, the 25-year-old found himself on the trade block once again.
Last season, Dalton Knecht averaged 4.2 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 0.4 assists per game while shooting 45.5% from the field and 34.2% from three-point range. For obvious reasons, his overall production, along with criticisms regarding his decision-making ability, led to a dramatic drop in his trade value.
Hence, despite L.A.’s efforts to move him, the franchise was left with no option but to waive him and finalize their 15-man roster. Needless to say, this doesn’t bode well for Los Angeles either.
“On the Lakers’ side, this is a bit of a disaster because these are back-to-back first-round picks that they’ve wasted with Jalen Hood-Schifino in 2023 and Dalton Knecht in 2024,” Buha continued. “Both players were out of the NBA within a couple years. Now again, with Knecht, we’ll see if he ends up on a two-way somewhere. But to have the number 17 selection in back-to-back seasons and to end up with one player who is out of the league and one player who will probably be out of the league soon is just really rough.”
“I think they mismanaged him as an asset. They should have traded him that summer after his rookie season and certainly should have traded him last season. But they did not, and now they have to waive him. So it’s another wasted first-round pick, another wasted asset for the Lakers.”
As Buha mentioned, the manner in which the Lakers have dealt with their last two first-round picks is quite disappointing. Considering that neither is with the team less than three years later, referring to it as a waste isn’t out of the question.
Although Jalen Hood-Schifino isn’t in the NBA, Jovan Buha expects Dalton Knecht to eventually wind up on another team. To that end, there are some intriguing landing spots that could be worth considering. Thus, even if it is on a two-way deal, Knecht may see the value in joining a roster and rebuilding his value as a rotation player from the ground up.