The Charlotte Hornets already had Dalton Knecht, sort of.
Knecht was a key piece of the February 2025 trade that appeared to send Knecht to the Hornets in a deal that would bring Mark Williams back to the Los Angeles Lakers.
That deal never went fully through, though. Williams failed his physical, and so the deal was rescinded.
“It was a crazy time,” Knecht said after the deal was canceled. “It felt like a movie.”
The following weeks and months must’ve been odd for Knecht, who had to return to a Lakers team that had just decided to trade him away.
A year-and-a-half later, those Lakers have finally discarded Knecht for good. They waived him on Monday to get down to the roster limit on the eve of the season.
While a bunch of other teams have been floated as landing spots for Knecht, why not the team that nearly had him in the first place?
Why Lakers Waived Dalton Knecht
Knecht simply never panned out for the Lakers after being a first-round pick. His athleticism and sharp-shooting from his college days at Tennessee didn’t translate to the NBA in the way that L.A. was hoping, and Knecht was often out of the rotation.
On Monday, they had to choose between either Knecht or Bronny James. They were one over the roster limit, and they decided to cut Knecht.
It was reported the Lakers had been seeking a trade for Knecht first, but when that evidently didn’t materialize, they waived him.
Knecht could get claimed off waivers, or he could become a free agent if he passes through unclaimed.
Hornets’ Dalton Knecht Connection
The Hornets are a different team these days than the one that tried to trade for Knecht. Most notably, LaMelo Ball is gone, now with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
But Charlotte is still a team that likes its offensive firepower and believes it is on the rise in the Eastern Conference.
And unlike most players who are waived this time of year, Knecht has a potent pedigree that could genuinely help a team trying to push up the ladder in the East.
It’s clear that at least at one point the Hornets liked Knecht. Part of the Williams trade was meant to gain draft capital, too, but Charlotte obviously didn’t mind getting Knecht in the deal. He seemed like a logical reclamation project.
Now, Knecht would need even more help to get his NBA career back on track. But why not try it in Charlotte, with a bit less pressure and a lot of young talent around him? It’d be a long time coming.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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