Dalton Knecht Finally Breaks Silence Regarding Lakers Rescinded Trade

Matt Levine | Feb 13, 2025

Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images

It's been a few days since the Los Angeles Lakers decided to rescind the trade of center Mark Williams with the Charlotte Hornets. Los Angeles got Williams in the building and decided that his medicals weren't at satisfactory level.

It was reported that Williams failed in multiple areas of his exam and that the Lakers were concerned. This led to Los Angeles rescinding the trade and sending all players involved back to their original teams.

The main player who returned to the Lakers was rookie forward Dalton Knecht. Many discussed how awkward it would be for him to return since the team just traded him away a short while ago.

After the Lakers' loss to the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, Knecht opened up and made his first comments since the rescinded trade.

“It was hard,” Knecht said Wednesday after his first game back in the Lakers’ 131-119 loss to the Utah Jazz. “I got drafted here, so L.A. means a lot. So, hearing that and then I go to Charlotte in the morning with one of my guys and get introduced and start meeting all those people and then fly out to Detroit to what was called my ‘debut game,’ to then, now I’m flying back to L.A. Rob (Pelinka) called me and said, ‘You’re coming back."

The rookie knows this is just a business but this certainly can makes things weird. After all, his relationship with the team has only been a few months old so Knecht will need to work through some things.

“I get it’s a business, so at the end of the day, I told them let’s just go play basketball,” Knecht said.

Knecht will now be with the Lakers for the remainder of the season, if not longer. Los Angeles was very high on him when they drafted him in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft.

But the chance to add a center like Williams to this roster was too good to pass up. Many believe that the Lakers will look to move Knecht this coming offseason but if the rookie can play well, maybe it changes the front office's mind.

This is a chance for Knecht to show what he can do and establish himself with this team.

More Lakers news:

Luka Doncic’s Lakers Debut Drew Massive Viewership Numbers

Impact of Rescinded Mark Williams Trade on Lakers Season

Celtics Star Jayson Tatum Seems to Diss Luka Doncic After Lakers Debut

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