Dalton Knecht’s run with the Los Angeles Lakers is over.
The Lakers waived Knecht on Monday, just two days before they officially open the 2026-27 NBA season, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The decision came just before the league’s deadline for teams to finalize their opening-day regular season rosters.
The Lakers selected Knecht with the No. 17 overall pick in 2024 out of Tennessee. He was a solid bench player for the franchise as a rookie, too, averaging 9.1 points and 2.8 rebounds in about 19 minutes per game off the bench.
The Lakers actually cut a deal to trade him to the Charlotte Hornets ahead of the deadline in 2025, too. But that trade, which was done so the Lakers could acquire center Mark Williams, fell through after Williams failed his physical. So Knecht went back to Los Angeles, and has been there ever since.
After a slump in his second season, the Lakers were reportedly looking to find a trading partner to send him elsewhere before Monday’s roster deadline. But as no deal came together, and the team still had one too many players on the roster, the Lakers simply opted to cut their losses and move on.
The Lakers will open the season on Wednesday night at home against the Golden State Warriors.
This post will be updated with more information shortly.