Dalton Knecht’s Summer League performance raised eyebrows, and not in a good way.
He looked out of sync, lacked impact on both ends, and did little to improve his standing with the team during a golden opportunity to prove he can be better. Despite the recent struggles, league insiders believe his trade value remains surprisingly strong.
Dalton Knecht’s trade value is stronger than his game right now
On the Game Theory Podcast, Sam Vecenie laid it out plainly: “They could get at least a couple second-round picks,” Vecenie said. “I’d be stunned if they didn’t pick up the option ($4.2 million). ... think you have to pick up at the end of the day and just kind of let it play out a little bit.”
Bryce Simon added, “You get a couple second-round picks…he’s not a negative asset one year into his NBA career at all. So if you needed to get off it, you could and probably get something back.”
That kind of stuff matters. Especially when you consider the Los Angeles Lakers already tried to trade Knecht once. Back near last season’s trade deadline, he was included in the proposed Charlotte Hornets’ Mark Williams deal.
That trade fell apart due to concerns with Williams’ physical, but the message to Knecht was clear: his future in Los Angeles is not guaranteed. Ever since then, his role has shrunk.
His once-promising rookie season, where he averaged 9.1 points per game while shooting just under 38 percent from three over 78 games, feels distant. With Jake LaRavia entering the mix, Knecht’s path to meaningful minutes is nearly gone.
LaRavia’s production speaks for itself. He can do what Knecht does, all while playing better defense, something Knecht really struggles with.
Last season LaRavia did not have as many opportunities as Knecht, but when he was on the floor, he made the most of his opportunity. He shot over 38 percent from deep and averaged nearly a steal per game.
For Knecht, this leaves two options: wait for another chance that may never come, or be part of a trade while his stock still has value. According to Vecenie and Simon, that value is real, so they should get ahead of it while they still can.
Trading Knecht will not change the direction of the franchise, but it might give the Lakers flexibility and future assets. For a player who is clearly out of the rotation and now behind better talent, moving on could benefit both sides.