The clock is ticking and the sands in the hourglass are starting to run out for the Los Angeles Lakers' hopes and attempts to make a trade that will help trim their roster down to 15 players on standard contracts while bringing back a player to beef up their bench.
They need to shed one player on a standard contract, and it has become very clear that the player they're looking to shed is wing Dalton Knecht. Knecht, who is entering his third NBA season, hasn't panned out the way he was expected to after a hot November during his rookie campaign.
NBA insider Jake Fischer has reported that the Lakers have had "exploratory trade discussions" with the Milwaukee Bucks about swapping Knecht for center Jericho Sims. Brett Siegel, another insider, posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the Lakers have talked to two other teams as well.
The Lakers have continued making recent trade calls in attempts to move Dalton Knecht instead of outright waiving him, with LA having communication with the Bucks, Bulls, and Jazz, among others, sources told @ClutchPoints.
— Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) October 17, 2026
It’s become clear Knecht’s future isn’t with the Lakers. https://t.co/MgwowOfeNq
In November 2024, Knecht, who was the No. 17 pick in the draft five months prior, averaged 13.6 points a game while shooting 46% from 3-point range. But the outside shooting specialist went ice-cold afterward, and his playing time has gradually diminished ever since.
Some have speculated that head coach JJ Redick simply doesn't trust him, perhaps due to his lack of defensive awareness. Others have speculated that Knecht's inclusion in the rescinded February 2025 trade for Mark Williams damaged his psyche.
The deadline for NBA teams to get down to 15 players on standard contracts is this Monday. The Lakers begin their regular-season schedule on Wednesday at home against the Golden State Warriors.
This article originally appeared on Lakers Wire: Insider: Lakers have talked to three teams about trading Dalton Knecht