After almost being kicked out of the Los Angeles Lakers' house, Dalton Knecht has moved back in. The feeling of not being wanted then forcing to be reacquainted is unpleasant. However, at this point, what other option is there?
There is no doubt that this problem is entirely of the Lakers' own making. When they made the decision to back out of the Mark Williams trade due to a failed physical, this awkward reality was always going to be a part of the fallout.
After missing time while getting settled back in with the organization, Knecht made his return on Wednesday night against the Utah Jazz. That game was a rought night, overall, for the Lakers as they were beat 131-119 by one of the worst teams in the Western Conference. However, their rookie played admirably in his return.
Knecht finished the loss against the Jazz with 10 points, shooting 3-of-7 from beyond the arc, during the 17 minutes he played off the bench. The former Tennessee product will now, hopefully, have the opportunity to take his mind off the awkwardness and enjoy his spot as a part of NBA All-Star Weekend. Knecht will be featured in the Castrol Rising Stars event on Friday night as a member of Team Chris.
Chris Mullin, Mitch Richmond and Tim Hardaway Sr. drafted their teams today for the 2025 Castrol Rising Stars.
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) February 4, 2025
Each NBA legend selected seven players from the pool of 21 NBA rookies and sophomores. Jeremy Lin will lead the team of seven players representing the NBA G League. pic.twitter.com/wImro9Aeie
Knecht gets candid in his first postgame press conference since returning
The Lakers sharpshooter sat down and spoke to the media for the first time since returning to Los Angeles. ESPN's Dave McMenamin did a great job capturing how open Knecht was about his feeling revolving around the rescinded Williams trade.
"It was hard," Knecht told McMenamin. "I got drafted here, so L.A. means a lot."
Knecht continued: "Rob called me and said, 'You're coming back.' I was just excited to go out there and hoop, no matter where I was going. ... I told that to JJ [Redick] and Rob [Pelinka]. ... I get it's a business, so at the end of the day, I told them, 'Let's just go play basketball."
It sounded like the first-year scorer was ready to move past whatever tough feelings may have been had with regard to the situation. This was certainly not a standard part of the rookie experience, but it was a certain type of 'welcome to the NBA' moment for Knecht.
As the 23-year-old gets reacclimated to his bench role in Los Angeles, Knecht promised to compete and play hard. The talented scorer sounded like he wants to stay put, now that he's back, but Knecht also explained, "Whatever happens, happens."