Dalton Knecht's rookie season with the Los Angeles Lakers didn't go as planned. He found himself preparing for a move from the West Coast back to the East Coast after the Lakers agreed to trade him to the Hornets as part of a package for Mark Williams. We all know how that ended.
On the "Game Theory Podcast," Sam Vecenie speculated that Los Angeles could trade Knecht in the future, but for a few second-round picks. Vecenie doesn't think that will happen right now, but he could see it happening down the road, which would open up more flexibility for the Lakers.
The Lakers are in an interesting position. They have Luka Doncic and LeBron James, so they shouldn't be counted out by any means, but they're positioning themselves for the future. Vecenie said he feels positive about where LA is now, but is more excited about their future.
Vecenie thinks Lakers could eventually trade Knecht to create more flexibility
Knecht had a solid rookie campaign, averaging 9.1 points and 2.8 rebounds per game, with 46/37/76 shooting splits in 78 games (26 starts). He had an impressive start to the season, but his production was inconsistent outside of that, as was his playing time.
Fans hoped that he'd dominate summer league, which wasn't an unreasonable ask, considering he was a first-round pick in the previous draft. Rather than leave fans hopeful about what's to come in his second season, Knecht let doubt creep into their minds. Struggling against players at the summer league level wasn't on the bingo card.
Maybe that performance will be nothing but a distant memory by the time the regular season rolls around, but that will only be if Knecht changes that with his play. A noticeable improvement on the defensive end is a goal he should strive towards, and that'd help him receive consistent minutes, too.
If the Lakers feel like Knecht isn't developing into the player they need him to be, he could be on his way out before the deadline. Or maybe Los Angeles isn't all that concerned with his development at all, and as Vecenie said, could already be thinking about a trade to free up some space.
Knecht had the unique (and unfortunate) experience of being traded, only to return to the team that traded him. He knows how chaotic the NBA can be. It's a business at the end of the day, so he shouldn't be surprised if a trade happens again, but for real this time.