Dalton Knecht now finds himself at a crossroads about where to go after his exit from the Los Angeles Lakers.
Per NBA insider Marc Stein, Knecht has officially cleared NBA waivers along with several others like Kevin Porter Jr., Dwight Powell, and Koby Brea.
He is now an unrestricted free agent after no team signed or picked up his current deal within 48 hours.
Dalton Knecht clears waivers, free to sign elsewhere as free agent
Dalton Knecht ultimately became the odd man out in Los Angeles, as the Lakers waived him last Monday to officially meet the league's 15-player roster requirement entering the 2026-27 season.
As no team picked him up and he proceeded to clear NBA waivers, the Lakers will be obligated to pay Knecht his guaranteed $4.2 million salary for the 2026-27 season. He will receive that money regardless of where he plays next.
Knecht can now sign with any other team as an unrestricted free agent on a brand-new deal.
After averaging 9.1 points in 19.2 minutes across 78 games (16 starts) in his rookie campaign, Knecht saw limited exposure and averaged 4.2 points in 10.2 minutes per 54 games last season.
He is the Lakers' No. 17 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Dwight Powell, Kevin Porter Jr. cleared NBA waivers along with Knecht
Joining Dalton Knecht on the NBA waiver wire are Dwight Powell, Kevin Porter Jr., and Koby Brea.
Powell's remarkable 12-year run with Dallas came to an end after the Mavericks already had 15 fully guaranteed standard contracts, allowing the respected big man to look for a depth or locker-room leader role elsewhere.
Porter Jr. was cut by the Milwaukee Bucks as the team finalized its regular-season roster limit, where he emerged as a potential candidate to be pursued by the Sacramento Kings.
The sophomore sharpshooter in Brea was meanwhile waived by the Phoenix Suns ahead of opening night, making him an ideal target for a team looking to add dynamic floor-spacing on a two-way developmental contract.