Lakers fans thought they had a steal. For the first 19 games of Dalton Knecht's NBA career, in the 2024-25 season, the rookie out of Tennessee thrived on the LeBron James/Anthony Davis Lakers, averaging 12.2 points per game, shooting 43.9% from 3-point range, and he already had started seven games.
Things looked very different that season after Luka Doncic's arrival changed the Lakers' dynamic. Knecht's defensive struggles were an issue, and after the All-Star break he averaged 8.4 points a game as his minutes dropped. Last season, in 54 games, he averaged 4.2 points a night and he shot 34.2% from beyond the arc.
Facing a roster crunch to get down to 15 players before the start of the season, the Lakers waived Knecht on Monday. He is now a free agent.
Knecht deserves a chance elsewhere in the league, somewhere he can regain the swagger he had early. Redick talked this preseason about how Knecht has improved each season with the Lakers, but with the offense built around Doncic and his strengths, the team's wing needs have changed.
Two other players of note waived on Monday at the roster cutdown deadline:
• Milwaukee waived guard Kevin Porter Jr., who averaged 17.4 points, 7.4 assists, and 5.2 rebounds per game last season, playing 38 games.
• Memphis waived Walter Clayton Jr., the Florida star who was the No. 18 pick in the 2025 draft. In 69 games split between Utah and Memphis as a rookie, he averaged 7.8 points and four assists per game, while shooting 30.7% from 3.