Lakers’ Dalton Knecht Has One Problem That Could Be Hard to Fix

Knecht’s time with the Los Angeles Lakers could be coming to an end as soon as this weekend.

Sep 28, 2026; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers player Dalton Knecht (4) during media day at UCLA Health Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The final NBA roster deadline for the 2026-27 season is Monday, Oct. 19 at 2 p.m. PT, and the Los Angeles Lakers need to make a move or two to trim their roster from 17 to the 15-player maximum. 

Most of the Lakers' roster is set, so the odd man out will likely be their former first-round pick, forward Dalton Knecht. 

Knecht has had a rough season and a half, marred by struggles on the defensive end and poor shooting from deep, ironically one of his best traits. 

Dan Woike of The Athletic revealed that Knecht's struggles go beyond his shooting and defense. 

"The biggest issue with Dalton Knecht hasn't been shooting and hasn't been defensive effort. It's been processing," Woike claimed. "The way one scout put it to me that's stuck with me - Knecht's on-court IQ isn't strong enough for him to just think the game and he's not instinctual enough to just go play freely.

"Obviously, he's been in a tough spot with the org. since the Mark Williams deal, and almost everyone agrees that if it's going to happen for him, it'll need to be somewhere else."

Why Has Dalton Knecht’s Lakers Career Taken Such a Turn?

Knecht's days in Los Angeles are certainly numbered. 

The 25-year-old showed promise coming out of Tennessee. He fell to the Lakers at No. 14 overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, with many believing he couldn'tbeen a lottery pick. 

In the first half of his rookie season, Knecht showed that he has the potential to be an impactful role player. It couldn't have gotten any better for Knecht, as he was 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 and then the trade deadline happened. 

The Lakers traded for Luka Doncic in a move that shocked the basketball world, and they immediately set out to make their newest star happy by adding a big man.

Sep 28, 2026; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers player Dalton Knecht (4) during media day at UCLA Health Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

That's where Knecht came in, as the Lakers traded him Cam Reddish, a 2031 unprotected first-round pick, and a 2030 pick swap to Charlotte in exchange for center Mark Williams.

The trade was contingent on both players passing their physicals, and the Lakers failed Williams due to medical concerns. 

The trade was rescinded, and from that moment on, Knecht was never the same. His confidence was shaken to the core after he returned to the team. 

On top of that, JJ Redick cut Knecht's minutes by April 2025. Once the 2025-26 season approached, Knecht's overall numbers dropped, and he was never the player we saw in the first half of his rookie season. 

Now, Knecht will likely join a new team in the upcoming 2026-27 season. 

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