Dalton Knecht is one of the most interesting pieces on the Los Angeles Lakers this season. At times last season he looked like an absolute steal with the 17th pick of the 2024 NBA Draft while at other times he found himself out of head coach JJ Redick’s rotation because of shortcomings in other areas of his game.
Of course, the rescinded trade that saw him return to the team after being dealt to the Charlotte Hornets also played a role in his struggles. Many expected him to be one of the standout players during Summer League but Knecht struggled mightily, something Redick attributed to the wing overworking himself after the season ended.
All of this has led to Knecht’s potential trade value falling over the past few months and his performance in the Lakers’ preseason opener only made it worse, according to Dan Woike of The Athletic:
But scouts and executives, almost unanimously, felt that the Lakers wouldn’t be able to recoup comparable value to the No. 17 pick they used when they selected Knecht. Some felt the team might be able to get its hands on multiple second-round picks, while the most critical felt Knecht would return just a lone second.
The Lakers didn’t move Knecht this summer, with anything the team possibly able to get for Knecht not worth giving up on the potential that’s still there. But after a rough preseason debut where he shot 1 of 12, scouts left Palm Desert as pessimistic as ever, one even calling Knecht a “negative asset,” meaning the Lakers would need to attach pieces to incentivize a team in a trade.
The Lakers and Rob Pelinka have been open about potentially making moves during the season if they feel it will improve the team. With limited draft picks to be moved, however, someone like Knecht would need to be included in order to bring back a valuable player, but that won’t happen is Knecht isn’t viewed as a positive asset.
Knecht certainly has some skills and he had some excellent performances during his rookie season. But these struggles the past few months are extremely noticeable and he could easily find himself out of the rotation this season which would only continue to lower his trade value should the Lakers try to move him.
Lakers’ Dalton Knecht starting to get his legs underneath him
After a rough opener, Dalton Knecht looked a bit better in the Lakers’ second preseason game against the Golden State Warriors when he finished with 12 points, six rebounds and three assists. And Knecht feels he is beginning to get his legs underneath him.
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