The Lakers still have roster math to solve, and Dalton Knecht keeps showing up in the middle of it.
Los Angeles needs to get down to the legal limit of 15 players, and coming into the offseason the team was already expected to explore trades to make that happen. So far, though, the market hasn’t exactly cooperated. Teams have reportedly been lukewarm on the packages the Lakers have put together, and that has left LA looking for another path.
Knecht and Jarred Vanderbilt have both been mentioned in trade chatter throughout the summer. NBA reporter Evan Sidery described the Lakers’ approach this way: “The Lakers are actively shopping Dalton Knecht and Jarred Vanderbilt in trade talks. After gaining two second-round picks in the Deandre Ayton trade, Los Angeles could consolidate those assets in a deal immediately for a starting-caliber wing," NBA reporter Evan Sidery wrote.
Knecht’s appeal is tied to age and upside, but the reality is less clean than that. He is 25, and while there was some promise as a rookie, his second season didn’t go the same way.
Heavy.com’s Sean Deveney framed the situation bluntly: “Knecht showed some promise as a rookie but fell off in Year 2 and is now a contract filler in a potential trade. It has been surprising that no team has been willing to gamble on his upside-he is only 25,” Heavy.com’s Sean Deveney wrote.
Even with that muted market, Los Angeles still seems to be searching for a deal involving Knecht. One proposal from Heavy.com’s Eli Gregorski has the Lakers sending Knecht and a second-round pick to the Clippers for Kris Dunn.
“Los Angeles Lakers receive: Kris Dunn. Los Angeles Clippers receive: Dalton Knecht and a second-round pick,” Gregorski wrote.
From the Lakers’ side, the appeal is straightforward. Dunn could slide into a backup role, and he would give the roster a proven defensive presence on the perimeter.
The veteran guard has made $41 million in his career, and the case for him is built on one thing above all else: elite defense. For a Lakers team trying to clean up its roster and move off Knecht’s contract, that kind of swap could make sense for both sides.
For Knecht, the benefit would be different but just as clear. A deal like this would give him a fresh start after his minutes dropped sharply last season.
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