When the Los Angeles Lakers traded for Luka Doncic in 2025, Dalton Knecht suddenly became redundant. With Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves, the Lakers had three offensive specialists along the perimeter and Knecht's inclinations thus lost their value—so much so that his flaws became the all but exclusive talking point.
With James signing with the Philadelphia 76ers and the Lakers lacking a clearly defined third option on offense, however, the door is open for Knecht to finally get his career back on track.
This isn't suggesting, of course, that Knecht will emerge as the third option on a championship contender in 2026-27. The road to him even coming close to achieving that feat is long and winding, with his defensive inconsistency remaining a vital talking point.
Los Angeles' most proven offensive players are all guards, however, which leaves an opening along the wings for a sharpshooter who can situationally create their own offense.
Quentin Grimes has the potential to step up in that arena, but his career-best average of 14.6 points per game and drastic dip in three-point efficiency in 2025-26 create a rational fear of limitations. Incoming rookie Cameron Carr has exhilarating two-way potential, but he's also an entirely unproven player in an NBA environment.
As such, while Knecht is by no means a favorite to emerge as the go-to option in the committee of supporting players who will work the wings next to Doncic and Reaves, the door is open for him.
Dalton Knecht can capitalize on Lakers' lack of proven scorers after stars
Knecht struggled to play anything resembling meaningful minutes in 2025-26, but his rookie season provided an abundance of reasons to be intrigued by his offensive potential. He averaged 9.1 points and 1.6 three-point field goals made in 19.2 minutes per game in 2024-25, shooting at a clip of .461/.376/.762.
Those numbers translate to eye-opening marks of 17.0 points and 3.1 three-point field goals made per 36 minutes. For perspective: Grimes averaged 16.4 points and 2.1 threes made per 36 minutes in 2025-26.
Knecht still needs to improve his defensive consistency and efficiency in catch-and-shoot situations. He's proven in the past that he can catch fire and score with volume, however, and has showcased the ability to work off of stars as well as create his own offense.
Compounded by his 39.0" vertical and impressive end-to-end speed, Knecht could also be a lob threat for Doncic and Reaves in transition.
If Knecht can deliver on his potential, then the Lakers could have a difficult time keeping him off the court. They lack proven wing scorers, need shooters around their ball-dominant stars, and have made room for upside to play a part in how the second unit is structured.
Knecht has become the ultimate enigma in Los Angeles after a tough second season, but he has a realistic path to meaningful minutes in 2026-27.
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