Dalton Knecht entered the NBA with significant buzz after being selected 17th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Coming off a standout college career, Knecht quickly showed promise with several vintage scoring outbursts — including a career-high 37-point game with nine three-pointers against the Utah Jazz, tying an NBA rookie record for threes in a single game and signaling his offensive upside.
However, after an early strong showing, things quickly went downhill.
A blockbuster trade in February 2025, which would have sent Knecht to the Charlotte Hornets for center Mark Williams, was rescinded when Williams failed his physical, returning Knecht to the Lakers.
From there, Knecht struggled to establish a consistent role in head coach JJ Redick’s rotation, with minutes becoming sporadic and his contributions limited as the season progressed.
Knecht’s second season hasn’t provided much relief. Through the early portion of this campaign, he has appeared in 20 games but is averaging just 15.1 minutes per contest.
The 24-year-old guard has often been relegated to the end of the bench as Los Angeles leans on veterans like Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves while trying to maintain one of the Western Conference’s best records.
In response to his ongoing development issues, the Lakers assigned Knecht to the G League’s South Bay Lakers on Monday.
This move comes barely two months after a major report by The Athletic’s Dan Woike, which detailed why Los Angeles struggled to find a trade partner for Knecht despite offseason efforts.
Woike explained that “the Lakers didn’t move Knecht this summer, with anything the team possibly able to get for Knecht not worth giving up on the potential that’s still there.” However, after a rough preseason debut where he shot 1-for-12, scouts reportedly left Palm Desert pessimistic, with one even calling Knecht a “negative asset.”
Sending Knecht to the G League is perhaps a deliberate effort to monitor his improvements and potentially boost his trade stock.
The NBA’s first major transaction window opened Monday, with the trade deadline scheduled for Feb. 8, 2026, giving the Lakers time to decide whether Knecht’s development warrants keeping him or packaging him for upgrades.
Without Knecht, the Lakers have remained strong, boasting an 18-7 record, and appear to be comfortably positioned as contenders.
Knecht’s second season hasn’t provided much relief. Through the early portion of this campaign, he has appeared in 20 games but is averaging just 15.1 minutes per contest.
The 24-year-old guard has often been relegated to the end of the bench as Los Angeles leans on veterans like Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves while trying to maintain one of the Western Conference’s best records.
In response to his ongoing development issues, the Lakers assigned Knecht to the G League’s South Bay Lakers on Monday.
Dalton Knecht entered the NBA with significant buzz after being selected 17th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Coming off a standout college career, Knecht quickly showed promise with several vintage scoring outbursts — including a career-high 37-point game with nine three-pointers against the Utah Jazz, tying an NBA rookie record for threes in a single game and signaling his offensive upside.
However, after an early strong showing, things quickly went downhill.
A blockbuster trade in February 2025, which would have sent Knecht to the Charlotte Hornets for center Mark Williams, was rescinded when Williams failed his physical, returning Knecht to the Lakers.
From there, Knecht struggled to establish a consistent role in head coach JJ Redick’s rotation, with minutes becoming sporadic and his contributions limited as the season progressed.
