The Los Angeles Lakers have an obvious path forward with Dalton Knecht after a very eventful offseason.
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka did an excellent job this offseason building a roster to the exact specifications of his superstar Luka Doncic. ‘The Don’ has always found success surrounded by floor spacers, and now he has exactly that.
That makes Knecht very expendable. Throughout his two years in the NBA and even going back to his time in college, the draw with Knecht has always been his 3-point shooting. That’s the whole reason LA drafted him at 17th overall in 2024: they desperately needed spacing, and he could provide it.
In 132 career games, he has a career 3-point percentage of 36.8 percent on 3.4 attempts per game. His inability to impact the game outside of his shooting, along with a botched trade he was part of with the Charlotte Hornets, has seen him fall out of LA’s rotation.
Since that failed deal with Charlotte for Mark Williams, it seems as if LA has been looking for the exit ramp with Knecht. The time has finally come.
Dalton Knecht is no longer needed in Los Angeles
The only two things that seemed to be holding Pelinka back from dumping Knecht were his value hitting an all-time low and the Lakers' still-lacking 3-point shooting. While his value hasn’t really been built back up as the former Tennessee Volunteer had a rough sophomore season, the Lakers' floor spacing problems are no longer a thing.
Following free agency, it was clear that adding shooters was a top priority for Pelinka. He brought in Collin Sexton, Quentin Grimes, and Sandro Mamukelashvili.
Grimes comes to LA with a career 3-point percentage of 36.6, Mamu is coming off a season where he shot 38.9 percent from deep, and Sexton has shot 39.3 percent or higher from distance in each of the last four seasons. These additions not only open things up for Luka to level up as a playmaker, but also address major spacing issues for a team that made the eighth fewest triples last season.
Adding these types of floor spacers while retaining Austin Reaves, who shot 36 percent on the long ball last season, makes Knecht’s skill set less unique.
I understand that Knecht's skill set fits what this team has now. With LA no longer having a big three and instead taking on more of a one-man show vibe, his presence on the roster still carries bad memories, and a fresh start would be best for all sides.
By dealing him, the Lakers wouldn’t receive a return that suits his status as a former first-round pick. However, trading him to a team in need of shooting for some forward or frontcourt depth could be really valuable. For so long, it felt like the Lakers were forced to keep Knecht as floor-spacing insurance. The Lakers no longer need his insurance because they have full coverage.
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