Los Angeles Lakers fans rejoiced on Tuesday night when Rob Pelinka and the front office made a selection that most could easily get behind. Cameron Carr was thought to be going much higher in the 2026 NBA Draft before the Lakers nabbed him following a trade-up to the 24th pick. For some, despite the excellent fit on paper, an uneasy feeling of familiarity came around.
That had to do with the 2024 NBA Draft and the selection of Dalton Knecht. The former Tennesse product was largely viewed as a lottery pick in that year's draft before slipping and falling down to the Lakers at 17, reminiscent of the sitiuation with Carr. That should be where the similarities end.
Carr's story has a lot more to do with a stacked NBA Draft class than it does with legitimate concerns about his NBA potential. In many ways, the Lakers will hope to get from the Baylor wing what they never got from Knecht.
Assuming their confidence in the selection, the next move for Pelinka's front office should involve Los Angeles admitting the misstep with their 2024 first-round pick. At the nearest opportunity for good value, Knecht should finally get his overdue exit from the Lakers.
Trading Dalton Knecht is the natural next step after drafting Cameron Carr
If the Lakers want to, they would be extremely justified to trade Knecht as early as the commencement of the second round. That would allow Los Angeles access to some of the intriguing names who are still available after night one of the 2026 NBA Draft.
Players like Isaiah Evans, Henri Veesaar, Baba Miller, and others all create reason for the Lakers to want back into the draft process this year. This class is very deep and Los Angeles could benefit much more from having a second-round pick in 2026 than most other offseason periods.
Thinking that another NBA team could take a flyer on Knecht for a second-round pick or two should not be an absurd thought, despite his struggles. The Lakers wing is a former first rounder and anyone could easily talk themselves into the problems in Los Angeles having a ton to do with what the once sharpshooting wing has dealt with since his arrival.
The obvious elephant in the room is called Mark Williams.
If the Lakers cannot find a way back into this draft with Knecht, trading him for a good makeover to the roster should still be very high on the priority list in Los Angeles. If there is excitement and anticipation about Carr delivering what DK could not, the redundancy is clear.
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