{"id":131461,"date":"2025-12-16T08:55:57","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T08:55:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=131461"},"modified":"2025-12-16T08:55:57","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T08:55:57","slug":"report-lakers-quiet-handling-of-dalton-knecht-is-suddenly-making-a-lot-more-sense-a-move-made-months-after-early-trade-reports-suggests-strategic-patience-not-hesitation-whether-this-pays","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=131461","title":{"rendered":"Report: Lakers\u2019 quiet handling of Dalton Knecht is suddenly making a lot more sense. A move made months after early trade reports suggests strategic patience, not hesitation. Whether this pays off or backfires could define how this front office is judged moving forward"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Dalton Knecht entered the NBA with significant buzz after being selected 17th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2024 NBA Draft.<\/p>\n<p>Coming off a standout college career, Knecht quickly showed promise with several vintage scoring outbursts \u2014 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.<\/p>\n<p>However, after an early strong showing, things quickly went downhill.<\/p>\n<p>A blockbuster trade in February 2025, which would have sent Knecht to the\u00a0Charlotte Hornets\u00a0for center\u00a0Mark Williams, was rescinded when Williams failed his physical, returning Knecht to the Lakers.<\/p>\n<p data-wp-block-name=\"core\/paragraph\" data-wp-block=\"{&quot;dropCap&quot;:false}\">From there, Knecht struggled to establish a consistent role in head coach JJ Redick\u2019s rotation, with minutes becoming sporadic and his contributions limited as the season progressed.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"styles_figureContainer__kdsyO wp-block-image size-full fade-in-top visible\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/athlonsports.com\/.image\/w_3840,q_auto:good,c_limit\/MjEyNzY0MDQ5OTEyMzc0OTEy\/dalton-knecht-lakers.jpg?arena_f_auto\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 750px) 750px, calc(100vw - 60px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/athlonsports.com\/.image\/w_16,q_auto:good,c_limit\/MjEyNzY0MDQ5OTEyMzc0OTEy\/dalton-knecht-lakers.jpg?arena_f_auto 16w, https:\/\/athlonsports.com\/.image\/w_32,q_auto:good,c_limit\/MjEyNzY0MDQ5OTEyMzc0OTEy\/dalton-knecht-lakers.jpg?arena_f_auto 32w, https:\/\/athlonsports.com\/.image\/w_48,q_auto:good,c_limit\/MjEyNzY0MDQ5OTEyMzc0OTEy\/dalton-knecht-lakers.jpg?arena_f_auto 48w, https:\/\/athlonsports.com\/.image\/w_64,q_auto:good,c_limit\/MjEyNzY0MDQ5OTEyMzc0OTEy\/dalton-knecht-lakers.jpg?arena_f_auto 64w, https:\/\/athlonsports.com\/.image\/w_96,q_auto:good,c_limit\/MjEyNzY0MDQ5OTEyMzc0OTEy\/dalton-knecht-lakers.jpg?arena_f_auto 96w, https:\/\/athlonsports.com\/.image\/w_128,q_auto:good,c_limit\/MjEyNzY0MDQ5OTEyMzc0OTEy\/dalton-knecht-lakers.jpg?arena_f_auto 128w, https:\/\/athlonsports.com\/.image\/w_256,q_auto:good,c_limit\/MjEyNzY0MDQ5OTEyMzc0OTEy\/dalton-knecht-lakers.jpg?arena_f_auto 256w, https:\/\/athlonsports.com\/.image\/w_384,q_auto:good,c_limit\/MjEyNzY0MDQ5OTEyMzc0OTEy\/dalton-knecht-lakers.jpg?arena_f_auto 384w, https:\/\/athlonsports.com\/.image\/w_640,q_auto:good,c_limit\/MjEyNzY0MDQ5OTEyMzc0OTEy\/dalton-knecht-lakers.jpg?arena_f_auto 640w, https:\/\/athlonsports.com\/.image\/w_750,q_auto:good,c_limit\/MjEyNzY0MDQ5OTEyMzc0OTEy\/dalton-knecht-lakers.jpg?arena_f_auto 750w, https:\/\/athlonsports.com\/.image\/w_828,q_auto:good,c_limit\/MjEyNzY0MDQ5OTEyMzc0OTEy\/dalton-knecht-lakers.jpg?arena_f_auto 828w, https:\/\/athlonsports.com\/.image\/w_1080,q_auto:good,c_limit\/MjEyNzY0MDQ5OTEyMzc0OTEy\/dalton-knecht-lakers.jpg?arena_f_auto 1080w, https:\/\/athlonsports.com\/.image\/w_1200,q_auto:good,c_limit\/MjEyNzY0MDQ5OTEyMzc0OTEy\/dalton-knecht-lakers.jpg?arena_f_auto 1200w, https:\/\/athlonsports.com\/.image\/w_1920,q_auto:good,c_limit\/MjEyNzY0MDQ5OTEyMzc0OTEy\/dalton-knecht-lakers.jpg?arena_f_auto 1920w, https:\/\/athlonsports.com\/.image\/w_2048,q_auto:good,c_limit\/MjEyNzY0MDQ5OTEyMzc0OTEy\/dalton-knecht-lakers.jpg?arena_f_auto 2048w, https:\/\/athlonsports.com\/.image\/w_3840,q_auto:good,c_limit\/MjEyNzY0MDQ5OTEyMzc0OTEy\/dalton-knecht-lakers.jpg?arena_f_auto 3840w\" alt=\"Los Angeles Lakers forward Dalton Knecht (4)\" width=\"5948\" height=\"3965\" data-nimg=\"1\" \/><\/figure>\n<p data-wp-block-name=\"core\/paragraph\" data-wp-block=\"{&quot;dropCap&quot;:false}\">Knecht\u2019s second season hasn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n<p data-wp-block-name=\"core\/paragraph\" data-wp-block=\"{&quot;dropCap&quot;:false}\">The 24-year-old guard has often been relegated to the end of the bench as Los Angeles leans on veterans like\u00a0Luka Doncic,\u00a0LeBron James\u00a0and Austin Reaves while trying to maintain one of the Western Conference\u2019s best records.<\/p>\n<p data-wp-block-name=\"core\/paragraph\" data-wp-block=\"{&quot;dropCap&quot;:false}\">In response to his ongoing development issues, the Lakers assigned Knecht to the G League\u2019s South Bay Lakers on Monday.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter styles_wrapper__KtICr fade-in-top visible\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered\"><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-0\" class=\"\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=ayoadeduyite&amp;dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2000656024358019499&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fathlonsports.com%2Fnba%2Flos-angeles-lakers%2Flakers-announce-dalton-knecht-news-after-trade-report&amp;sessionId=63ef8a50c65ecbe90057a758aeece530fb974f3f&amp;siteScreenName=athlonsports&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-tweet-id=\"2000656024358019499\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-wp-block-name=\"core\/paragraph\" data-wp-block=\"{&quot;dropCap&quot;:false}\">This move comes barely two months after a major report by\u00a0The Athletic\u2019s Dan Woike, which detailed why Los Angeles struggled to find a trade partner for Knecht despite offseason efforts.<\/p>\n<p data-wp-block-name=\"core\/paragraph\" data-wp-block=\"{&quot;dropCap&quot;:false}\">Woike explained that <em>\u201cthe Lakers didn\u2019t move Knecht this summer, with anything the team possibly able to get for Knecht not worth giving up on the potential that\u2019s still there.\u201d<\/em> However, after a rough preseason debut where he shot 1-for-12, scouts reportedly left Palm Desert pessimistic, with one even calling Knecht a \u201cnegative asset.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-wp-block-name=\"core\/paragraph\" data-wp-block=\"{&quot;dropCap&quot;:false}\">Sending Knecht to the G League is perhaps a deliberate effort to monitor his improvements and potentially boost his trade stock.<\/p>\n<p data-wp-block-name=\"core\/paragraph\" data-wp-block=\"{&quot;dropCap&quot;:false}\">The NBA\u2019s first major transaction window opened Monday, with the trade deadline scheduled for Feb. 8, 2026, giving the Lakers time to decide whether Knecht\u2019s development warrants keeping him or packaging him for upgrades.<\/p>\n<p data-wp-block-name=\"core\/paragraph\" data-wp-block=\"{&quot;dropCap&quot;:false}\">Without Knecht, the Lakers have remained strong, boasting an 18-7 record, and appear to be comfortably positioned as contenders.<\/p>\n<p data-wp-block-name=\"core\/paragraph\" data-wp-block=\"{&quot;dropCap&quot;:false}\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_456,w_5054,h_2842\/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images\/ImagnImages\/mmsport\/all_lakers\/01jmfyk9nnqzgxbvgsrw.jpg\" alt=\"Paul George Believes Dalton Knecht Was Given 'Blessing' Following Rescinded Lakers  Trade\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Knecht\u2019s second season hasn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n<p>The 24-year-old guard has often been relegated to the end of the bench as Los Angeles leans on veterans like\u00a0Luka Doncic,\u00a0LeBron James\u00a0and Austin Reaves while trying to maintain one of the Western Conference\u2019s best records.<\/p>\n<p>In response to his ongoing development issues, the Lakers assigned Knecht to the G League\u2019s South Bay Lakers on Monday.<\/p>\n<p>Dalton Knecht entered the NBA with significant buzz after being selected 17th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2024 NBA Draft.<\/p>\n<p>Coming off a standout college career, Knecht quickly showed promise with several vintage scoring outbursts \u2014 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.<\/p>\n<p>However, after an early strong showing, things quickly went downhill.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Knecht.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all\" alt=\"Dalton Knecht Breaks Silence on Awkward Los Angeles Lakers Trade\" \/><\/p>\n<p>A blockbuster trade in February 2025, which would have sent Knecht to the\u00a0Charlotte Hornets\u00a0for center\u00a0Mark Williams, was rescinded when Williams failed his physical, returning Knecht to the Lakers.<\/p>\n<p>From there, Knecht struggled to establish a consistent role in head coach JJ Redick\u2019s rotation, with minutes becoming sporadic and his contributions limited as the season progressed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":131473,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-131461","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Report: Lakers\u2019 quiet handling of Dalton Knecht is suddenly making a lot more sense. A move made months after early trade reports suggests strategic patience, not hesitation. Whether this pays off or backfires could define how this front office is judged moving forward - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=131461\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Report: Lakers\u2019 quiet handling of Dalton Knecht is suddenly making a lot more sense. A move made months after early trade reports suggests strategic patience, not hesitation. Whether this pays off or backfires could define how this front office is judged moving forward - NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Dalton Knecht entered the NBA with significant buzz after being selected 17th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2024 NBA Draft. 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A move made months after early trade reports suggests strategic patience, not hesitation. Whether this pays off or backfires could define how this front office is judged moving forward - NEWS USA","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=131461","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Report: Lakers\u2019 quiet handling of Dalton Knecht is suddenly making a lot more sense. A move made months after early trade reports suggests strategic patience, not hesitation. Whether this pays off or backfires could define how this front office is judged moving forward - NEWS USA","og_description":"Dalton Knecht entered the NBA with significant buzz after being selected 17th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2024 NBA Draft. 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Whether this pays off or backfires could define how this front office is judged moving forward - NEWS USA","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=131461#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=131461#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3-18.jpg","datePublished":"2025-12-16T08:55:57+00:00","dateModified":"2025-12-16T08:55:57+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/73dec88841ffe3be696a72d46df40731"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=131461#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=131461"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=131461#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3-18.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3-18.jpg","width":1440,"height":1440},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=131461#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Report: Lakers\u2019 quiet handling of Dalton Knecht is suddenly making a lot more sense. A move made months after early trade reports suggests strategic patience, not hesitation. 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