Los Angeles Lakers forward Dalton Knecht is at the center of trade talks.
The Lakers need to trim their roster from 16 to 15 players, and Knecht will likely be the odd man out.
With the regular season approaching and the roster-cut deadline only a few days away, the clock is ticking for the Lakers to make a move.
The question isn't if they will, but when. All eyes are on the Lakers and Knecht, and everyone knows it, even the 25-year-old forward.
Before the Lakers' preseason finale against the Denver Nuggets on Friday, Knecht expressed confidence in his game, believing he has improved despite his struggles over the past year and a half, via Dan Woike of The Athletic.
“I think I got better all-around. I think the game’s kinda slowed down a little bit, easier for me to see different reads, going out there and making adjustments on the fly, what JJ tells us,” Knecht said. “I don’t think anything has changed as a player. I still go out there, I still think I am the best player and best shooter when I step out on the court.
“So nothing has really changed about that type of stuff.”
Lakers May Be Ready to Move on From Dalton Knecht
Knecht has not been the young prospect the Lakers hoped they'd turn out to be, especially as of late.
The former No. 17 overall pick's days are numbered in Los Angeles. Things started off promising for Knecht, showing his elite shooting prowess and ability to create for himself.
Knecht started his NBA career in stellar fashion, averaging 9.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game while shooting 46.5% from the field and 35.8% from deep.
Then, at the 2025 NBA trade deadline, the Lakers traded for Mark Williams in exchange for Knecht, Cam Reddish, a 2031 unprotected first-round pick, and a 2030 pick swap to the Charlotte Hornets.
The trade was rescinded, and Knecht hasn't been the same basketball player. JJ Redick cut his minutes, and he was a non-factor for the team in the 2025-26 season.
Dalton Knecht’s Preseason Struggles Could Seal His Lakers Fate
The preseason was a chance for Knecht to show that those days were behind him. However, it was more of the same throughout the five preseason games, as he averaged 3.7 points per game while shooting 27% from the field and 14% from the three-point range.
“The team changed. The needs changed, the fit changed,” Redick said when asked about Knecht pregame Friday.
“I think he got better as a player over the last two years. I think each guy has, particularly last year, each guy got plenty of opportunities with the amount of injuries we had. So I just think coming into this year, we added a lot of wings and he’s in a tough spot right now.”
There isn't room for Knecht on the Lakers, and he'll likely have a new team before the NBA season kicks off on Tuesday.
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