I wrote on Jan. 6, 2025 that the Los Angeles Lakers had a Dalton Knecht problem that they needed to fix as soon as possible. Just over a year later, the Knecht conundrum has not only taken a turn for the worst, but somehow still boils down to the same core issue.
Knecht has flaws that he needs to resolve, but the Lakers have continued to fail to provide him with the opportunity to learn from his mistakes.
It's difficult to remember now, but Knecht was once one of the most heralded players to emerge from the 2024 NBA Draft. Los Angeles was praised for landing the biggest steal of the event after he unexpectedly fell out of the lottery and stumbled all the way to No. 17 overall.
The Lakers looked even better when Knecht averaged 18.9 points over a nine-game stretch in November 2024, highlighted by a stunning 37-point showing and four 20-point performances.
Just six games after recording back-to-back 20-point statements, however, Knecht was playing fewer than 20 minutes per game. He exceeded 20 minutes of playing time in just three of Los Angeles' next 18 games, and even followed a 32-point performance with just 16 minutes of playing time.
One year later, the puzzling trend hasn't gotten any better. In fact, the Lakers have allowed the issue to get even worse.
Lakers still don't let second-year wing Dalton Knecht play through dips
Los Angeles did Knecht no favors when they traded him, backed out of the trade due to Mark Williams' failed physical, and then continued to give the then rookie unpredictable minutes. For instance: Knecht stepped up in March 2025, when injuries struck the Lakers.
Between Mar. 1 and Mar. 20, LeBron James missed seven games, Austin Reaves was absent from three, and Luka Doncic sat for two. Thankfully, Knecht was ready.
Knecht averaged 14.4 points on .476/.411/.588 shooting during that 11-game stretch, with Los Angeles overcoming injuries and a drastically altered rotation to go 6-5. He scored as many as 32 points in a single game and finished in double figures in nine of 11.
The very next game after Mar. 20, however, Knecht played just seven minutes—and exceeded 15 in just two of the Lakers' final 12 outings.
Fast forward to 2025-26 and Knecht is averaging just 12.4 minutes per game and looking like a shell of the player he was in 2024-25. He's played at least 20 minutes in just five of his 37 appearances, averaging 12.4 points on 49.0 percent shooting from the field during that time,
It's yet another example of how he's produced with efficiency when his number has been called, but how that simply doesn't happen very often in Los Angeles.
With this in mind, the Lakers are dangerously close to the point of no return. A young player has been effectively cast out of the rotation due to their flaws and has thus been deprived of the opportunity to learn by fire. Perhaps it's the right call, but one can't help but acknowledge that many young players are given the chance to play through their lows and learn how to adapt their game to the NBA.
Knecht is only in his second NBA season, but if the Lakers don't act quickly, they will have officially squandered the talent of a player who has proven to be able to make an impact if the coaching staff allows him to.