The Los Angeles Lakers officially waived 2024 No. 17 pick Dalton Knecht on Monday, bringing their roster to the required 15 players. This move, long speculated during the preseason, marks the bottoming out of a drastic fall for a player once considered a serious draft steal for the Lakers.
From Rookie of the Year Hype to Fading Away
Man, it wasn’t long ago that Knecht looked like he was gonna be a diamond in the rough for LA, even sparking some whispers about potential Rookie of the Year buzz. He burst onto the scene, but then, just as fast, he faded into the background. His tenure in LA? It’ll probably be best remembered for that wild, failed trade for Mark Williams, which really set the stage for everything that followed.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick spoke about the situation before Friday’s preseason finale, and it sounds like the team’s evolution played a big part. “I think the biggest thing is the team changed,” Redick said. “The team changed. The needs changed. The fit changed.” He acknowledged Knecht got better as a player over the last couple of years, particularly with all the injuries they had last season, but Redick made it clear: “I just think, coming into this year, we got a lot of wings and he’s in a tough spot right now.”
The Rescinded Trade and Defensive Hurdles
Here’s where it gets wild: after the Lakers acquired Luka Dončić, they immediately tried to snag a lob-catching center. So, they sent Knecht in a trade package to the Hornets for Mark Williams. But then, get this, the trade got rescinded days later because of the deadline. Even though Knecht was already on a downward trajectory before that whole fiasco, that specific moment totally seemed to seal his fate. He got chances, sure, but he just could never make a real impression. A huge chunk of that was his defense. The dude just never made enough progress on that end of the floor during his time in the league.
Coming into training camp, the Lakers had 16 guaranteed contracts for just 15 roster spots, so there was always going to be a competition. Knecht’s almost total lack of presence throughout the preseason, whether it was in Redick’s comments or his actual playing time, showed everyone exactly where he stood. The limited time he did get on the court just didn’t offer any reason for optimism. Honestly, he didn’t make much of an argument for them to keep him around.
With Dalton Knecht now officially off the roster, the Lakers are settled at 15 players.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Silver Screen and Roll.
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