The Los Angeles Lakers not only dominated headlines at this year’s NBA trade deadline for their blockbuster deal to acquire Luka Doncic, but also because of an agreed-upon deal that included sending rookie Dalton Knecht to the Charlotte Hornets for Mark Williams.
That secondary trade wound up falling apart when the Lakers failed Williams’ physical. That was much to the dismay of the Hornets, who publicly welcomed Williams back but also were reported to have begun the process of protesting the Lakers’ rescinding the trade.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver later dispelled that rumor, and the Lakers and Hornets have seemingly carried on without issue.
While the failed trade kept Williams on a team well below .500, it was a stroke of good fortune for Knecht. To his credit, Knecht didn’t allow the tentative deal to impact his mindset and the former first-round draft pick is now flourishing on a surging Lakers team.
Sunday’s win over the L.A. Clippers moved the Lakers into second place of the Western Conference standings. Knecht scored 19 points for the short-handed Lakers and has been among many players benefitting from Doncic’s arrival.
“Super easy. He makes life easy on all of us, getting wide open shots for everybody,” answered Knecht when asked what his experience has been playing alongside Doncic.
Knecht has also found the game particularly free-flowing when on the court with Doncic and LeBron James.
“I would say it’s just easy, especially when those two are on the court,” he added. “They get wide-open shots and it’s always usually a bucket. Having those two on the court together is fun to watch.”
The Lakers are 7-2 with Doncic in the lineup even as the perennial All-Pro point guard works to find his rhythm after missing six weeks because of a left calf strain.
While Doncic hasn’t played to his level of expectations, Knecht and others have been thoroughly impressed.
“Obviously his shotmaking is crazy, but knowing where guys are at even when he’s not looking at them, playmaking and making those passes,” Knecht said.
“They’re usually always on target, so he just makes it super easy for everyone on the offensive end.”
Dalton Knecht grateful for Luka & LeBron
Few rookies are as fortunate as Knecht has been thus far in his career, and the opportunity to be teammates with some of the NBA’s greats is not lost on him.
“Started off with A.D. and ‘Bron, and having those two guys to learn from, and now I got Luka and ‘Bron. Those two guys, just trying to learn as much as I can,” Knecht said.
“Learn how ‘Bron works every single day and obviously trying to pick Luka’s mind as much as I can.”
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