Dalton Knecht and the Lakers have both taken quite a hit recently.
As for the Lakers, they made the decision to waive their No. 17 pick from the upcoming 2024 draft after attempts to trade the 25-year-old forward didn’t yield any interest.
This marks the second time in a few years that the team’s first-round draft pick has not turned out as hoped, following their selection of Jalen Hood-Schifino at 17th overall in the 2023 draft. They also opted out of his third-year option, and he subsequently faded out of the league.
Now, about Knecht—it’s been a rough journey. He started off strong with back-to-back impressive performances in his rookie season, showing flashes with 27 and 37 points. But then he disappeared from the rotation under Lakers coach JJ Redick.
His decline has been sharp, and right now, he seems left with little choice but to pursue a two-way contract, which isn’t a great position to be in.
So, how did it come to this?
Dalton’s decline
It’s unfortunate for both the Lakers and Knecht. The Lakers really needed a solid first-round draft pick, and now it feels like Knecht’s career is spiraling downward.
Things reached a low point in February 2025.
After the Lakers made headlines by trading for Luka Dončić from the Mavericks just before the trade deadline, they sent Knecht, Cam Reddish, a future first-round pick, and a pick swap to the Hornets in return for Mark Williams. But then, Williams failed his physical, leading the Lakers to back out of the deal. Suddenly, Knecht had to return to a locker room that had moved on without him.
That’s a tough blow to recover from.
You can’t help but think his confidence must have taken a real beating. I mean, it’s like getting fired and then having your boss call to say, “Just kidding,” and you have to show up for work the next day.
After that moment, his shortcomings became even more apparent. He was a liability on defense, and when his shooting was off, fitting him into a lineup that needed space creators like Doncic and Reaves was just not working. It felt like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.
He dropped from an average of 9.1 points on 46.1% shooting—37.6% from three—to just 4.2 points on 45.5% shooting—34.2% from deep—while playing only 10.2 minutes per game last season.
Things didn’t improve this preseason for him.
With the addition of nine new teammates vying for their chance, Knecht continued to struggle. In four preseason games, he only averaged 2.8 points, shooting a dismal 25% from the field (3-for-12) and 14.3% from beyond the arc (1-for-7), along with 1.3 rebounds in about 12 minutes.
Redick commented on Knecht’s situation, saying, “The team changed. The needs changed, the fit changed. I think he got better over the last couple of years. Last season, everyone had opportunities due to injuries, but with so many new wings added this year, it’s tough for him.”
So, when it was time for the Lakers to reduce their roster from 16 to 15 players, Knecht was the first to go, ahead of Bronny James and Jaden Hardy, whom the Lakers acquired in a trade.
In the end, the Lakers seemingly resigned themselves to the fact they were letting a once-promising first-round pick slip away without gaining anything in return but the weight of a $4.2 million debt remaining on his contract.
It’s disappointing they didn’t deal him after the failed trade for Williams last summer. And it’s a shame they couldn’t find a taker last season or even a last-minute deal before this cut.
This situation casts a shadow over general manager Rob Pelinka. It’s a real pity for Knecht too, who not long ago appeared to be on a much more positive path.
Overall, it feels like a lose-lose situation for both sides.
