Dalton Knecht was supposed to be the gift that kept on giving for the Los Angeles Lakers. However, his undeniable struggles have made it tough for Rob Pelinka to even get a worthwhile trade involving the man who many initially thought was an absolute steal at the 17th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Jovan Buha recently offered insight on how much the situation has worsened for Los Angeles. The Lakers insider offered some eye-opening comments on Buha's Block regarding just how much Knecht's value around the league has taken a hit amid his summer league struggles.
Buha said, "I don’t think at this point he is valued as a first-round pick, in terms of an asset valuation. That was what I heard in Vegas from talking to multiple people, non-Lakers people, just gauging what would you give for Dalton Knecht? ... The feedback I got was, no longer worth a first-round valuation."
Perhaps Knecht has struggled to truly bring his best self to the equation after the awkward Mark Williams fiasco the Lakers suffered around last year's NBA trade deadline. Whatever the case is, the Lakers sharpshooter is increasing as a liability for the franchise.
Lakers stuck in no man's land with Dalton Knecht
The position in which the Lakers find themselves is incredibly unenviable. The part that is even worse would be the fact that there is no easy solution to their growing problem.
Trading Knecht does not appear to be a viable option at the moment for the Lakers. With his stock reportedly taking the hit that it has, according to Buha, there is just no sense in making that move when the return package will be lackluster.
Lakers fans who have fantasized about Knecht being paired with one of the expiring contracts on the team, and potentially a first-round pick, netting the team a serious upgrade are getting their hopes dashed. Bronny James may be the more valuable young piece by now, and he's not going anywhere as long as LeBron James is still here.
Bronny James (16 PTS) with the SMOOTH euro-step 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/cEsiVn5KZk
— NBA (@NBA) July 18, 2025
The solution for the Lakers would be to see Knecht reestablish himself as a promising talent through on-court production. However, that is not as easy as it sounds.
The Lakers are trying to compete for a championship. The players who can help them do that are going to be the ones featured on a nightly basis once the 2025-26 season rolls around. With the depth of the team growing this offseason, there is no guaranteed path to consistent mintues for Knecht.
The Lakers marksman fell out of favor in JJ Redick's rotations down the stretch of last season. Knecht would need to seriously showcase some upside in training camp for the second-year head coach to turn to him for minutes off the bench during the regular season.
As things stand, a fan favorite is quickly becoming a disappointing situation for the Lakers. One can only hope Knecht will rise to the occasion and change the current set of circumstances.