The Los Angeles Lakers had a shot to trade Dalton Knecht to the Kings for Keon Ellis, but Sacramento instead made a deal with the Cavaliers for De’Andre Hunter. Ellis was the point of attack defender that LA desperately needs. The Kings love score-first players. This could have been the perfect match, but it wasn’t meant to be.
The Lakers have to move on from Knecht. He is completely out of the rotation and a non-factor in Los Angeles. Knecht was projected to be a bucket-getter and floor spacer coming out of college, but he is shooting just 31.9 percent from 3-point range and playing subpar defense. Both sides want a breakup.
Sadly, that just makes it more complicated for the Lakers. No team is giving them value for Knecht at this stage. The 24-year-old should be entering his prime and can’t even get on the floor unless it is a blowout. LA had a shot, but their unwillingness to take back unwanted salary ruined this opportunity.
Lakers whiffed on the best opportunity to trade Dalton Knecht for value
The purple and gold are chasing championships. They have one of the three best players in the world in Luka Doncic. That alone gives them a chance. LeBron James and Austin Reaves make it a star trio in Hollywood, but the rest of the roster needs improvement.
The Lakers are searching for a 3-and-D wing and a rim protector. They had a shot to get the former and dump Knecht in the same trade, but Rob Pelinka couldn’t make it happen.
Los Angeles is light on tradeable assets. They have just one first-round pick to dangle with expiring contracts. Teams looking for future salary relief would be interested, but the Lakers don’t want to clog up their cap space. The front office plans on chasing upgrades on the open market this summer, which further complicates trading Knecht before the deadline passes on Feb. 5.
The 6’6 wing is still on his rookie contract. He is set to make $4.2 million next season and has a $6.4 million team option for 2027-28. The Lakers want to clear as much cap space as possible for the offseason, and it is clear Knecht is not a long-term fit. Rob Pelinka will try to trade him before the deadline, but doing so likely means attaching a draft pick to dump him.
The Lakers' dream move was acquiring Keon Ellis and sending out Knecht, but it wasn’t meant to be. Ellis is headed to Cleveland. The Kings had no reason to help the rival Lakers and got off Dennis Schroder’s long-term contract in this deal. It was LA that missed their shot here.
The Los Angeles Lakers traded Knecht before the deadline in 2025, but the deal was rescinded after Mark Williams failed his physical. Things haven’t been the same for the 6’6 wing since. He never found his jumper and has struggled to make an impact.
Knecht desperately needs a change of scenery, and LA should give him one as soon as possible. The Ellis opportunity is gone. It is on Rob Pelinka to find another move. It won’t be easy, but that is why he makes the big bucks.