Los Angeles Lakers fans have long thought the franchise and Dalton Knecht would both be better off with a divorce from one another. Now, it's not just fans saying it. NBA insiders are on board with that exact same idea too.
With the days quickly ticking away before the NBA trade deadline, Marc Stein delivered another major rumor mill round-up ahead of Feb. 5. Knecht's name surfaced among what the trusted insider had to say.
Stein wrote, "Another player to watch in terms of possible fresh starts is the Lakers' Dalton Knecht, who was traded to Charlotte a year ago before being forced to return to LA when the purple and gold rescinded its deal to acquire Mark Williams from the Hornets."
Knecht has become an afterthought in Los Angeles after the Williams trade that never was. With the deadline being just over a week away, it is in the best interests of everybody to let both sides start anew after failing to recover from that awkward misstep.
Dalton Knecht has long needed a fresh start — and now Marc Stein is saying it too
Knecht has received four straight DNPs from JJ Redick during the last four games for the Lakers. Right before that, Knecht had three consecutive outings of playing less than five minutes per game. None of these things signal the second-year scorer has a big role moving forward for the franchise.
The Lakers have seen meaningful regression from the 2024 first-round pick in his sophomore campaign. Knecht is only averaging 4.8 points per game, shooting 43.7 percent from the field and 31.9 percent from beyond the arc.
What the Lakers have wanted from Knecht is a capable off-ball marksman around their three stars who are all capable on-ball creators. That is not watch they have gotten. Knecht's catch and shoot percentage on 3-point shots (33.8) is only marginally better than his overall mark.
Out of necessity, the Lakers have tried to miscast Knecht in that role. It's not that the 24-year-old is totally incapable of executing that approach, but it's not what he's best suited for.
There may just be a human element here too that is going unsaid. While no one will readily speak it out loud for the media to hear, it is difficult to return to a place and play for an organization that essentially discarded you.
Knecht needs a new home. Lakers fans know it, Marc Stein is saying it, and the people in the organization should soon realize it too.