A past mistake by LeBron James resurfaces as he talks about Dalton Knecht

The Los Angeles Lakers surprised many on Monday by waiving Dalton Knecht as part of the moves needed to comply with the NBA’s roster limit. The decision frustrated a number of fans, especially given that only a few months earlier the young wing was viewed as one of the higher-upside pieces in the franchise’s future.

The Lakers selected Knecht with the 17th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, betting on an offensive specialist with strong three-point shooting ability. His development never matched those expectations, and he is now off the Los Angeles roster.

The situation has once again put LeBron James in the spotlight. Although James is no longer with the team, an old public endorsement of the then-rookie resurfaced on social media and sparked debate among fans:

“They didn’t find DK… the other 16 teams f****d it up. Did anybody watch him?”

With those words, LeBron criticized the teams that selected ahead of the Lakers and made clear that he saw Knecht as a player with the potential to become an important piece for the franchise.

There was even a perception that Los Angeles had drafted Knecht specifically to give LeBron a new shooter who could capitalize on his passes and create spacing on offense.

Knecht showed some promising moments early in his Lakers tenure, but his standing changed when he was included in a proposed trade with the Charlotte Hornets for Mark Williams. Concerns about the big man’s physical condition caused Los Angeles to cancel the deal and reclaim Knecht. His confidence and role within the team never fully recovered afterward.

LeBron James’ bet on Dalton Knecht did not pan out

LeBron’s support for Knecht stood out because it went beyond a routine endorsement of a rookie. The four-time NBA champion genuinely believed in his talent and viewed him as part of the Lakers’ young core alongside Austin Reaves.

James had previously demonstrated a strong eye for talent by speaking positively about Reaves before the guard developed into one of the team’s key figures.

However, LeBron’s track record as a talent evaluator also includes notable misses. One of the most remembered is Shabazz Napier, a college prospect James once highlighted as a potential NBA star. The Miami Heat selected Napier in the 2014 Draft partly with an eye toward keeping LeBron satisfied. James left the franchise shortly afterward to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Napier never became the player many expected.

Now, Dalton Knecht may become another example of a player in whom James identified special qualities that ultimately failed to translate into consistent NBA impact.