Dalton Knecht, the Lakers’ No. 17 pick from the 2024 draft, just got the axe, leaving Bronny James as the last man standing from a draft class that’s now being called an “abject disaster” for Rob Pelinka. This move comes right at the deadline to trim rosters to 15, and honestly, the writing was on the wall for a minute for both of them. Remember those “illness” reports from Monday that got The Athletic jumping in to confirm? Yeah, JJ Redick and everyone else in LA knew that was more like a serious case of Roster Bubble-itis.
Bronny’s Spot and LeBron’s Exit: What Happened?
So, Bronny’s still got a roster spot, but let’s be real, his preseason numbers didn’t exactly light it up. Redick straight-up said Bronny didn’t play well, shooting a dismal 4-of-16 from the floor and seeing the Lakers lose his 82 minutes by a grand total of 31 points. Yikes. And let’s not pretend we don’t know *why* he was drafted. The Lakers, on some level, clearly drafted Bronny to preserve their relationship with his superstar dad. But guess what? That bridge collapsed. LeBron James literally took a minimum-salary contract to go play for the 76ers. So, Bronny failed on that front, too. Through two years, he hasn’t grown into an NBA-caliber player, but as a late-second round pick, he was always fighting long odds. It’s the other guy getting cut that really tells the story of this whole mess.
Knecht’s Fall From “Steal of the Draft” to Waived
Dalton Knecht was supposed to be the actual prize from that 2024 draft. Frequently cited as the “steal of that draft,” this dude was a 23-year-old coming off an SEC Player of the Year season, with a skillset that “seemingly fit the existing roster to a tee.” He was supposed to be a difference-maker right away. Instead? He showed “virtually nothing” as a Laker, outside of a few flashes early in his rookie year. Talk about a bust, right? The Lakers even tried to trade him to the Charlotte Hornets, but that deal fell through because they couldn’t pass Mark Williams’ physical. After that, they just couldn’t move Knecht or rebuild his confidence. And now, he’s gone.
The Real Cost of This Draft Debacle
This whole 2024 draft situation is a mess that just keeps on giving. Neither James nor Knecht have developed into NBA-caliber players, and it cost the Lakers some serious flexibility. They didn’t move on quickly enough last offseason, which meant they couldn’t retain key defender Jordan Goodwin. What a blunder! Goodwin was an important part of their 2024-25 rotation and ended up breaking out for the Phoenix Suns after LA let him walk. The Lakers had so many chances to fix this: demanding a trade condition when they sent nearly all their picks to the Utah Jazz for Walker Kessler, signing one less free agent, or making an aggregation trade. Instead, these picks went so sideways that the Lakers are now stuck with dead money from waiving Knecht. They couldn’t even close the book on this miserable draft properly. That’s a huge problem for Pelinka and the team moving forward.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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