The Lakers’ latest roster squeeze has Dalton Knecht looking more movable than essential, and one mock deal sends him east in exchange for a stretch big who could actually fill a need.
Los Angeles is sitting on 16 guaranteed contracts and has to trim to 15 by opening night. Brian Windhorst of ESPN reported that the Lakers have been trying to move Jaden Hardy all summer with no luck, which makes a Knecht deal look like a cleaner path if they want to clear the logjam and add something useful in the process.
That’s where the proposal comes in: Knecht to the Celtics for Luka Garza and a 2028 second-round pick. There’s no indication the teams are discussing it. It’s just an idea, but one that would at least answer a couple of problems on both sides.
For the Lakers, the fit is obvious. Knecht, who was taken 17th overall two years ago, was supposed to be a sniper alongside Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. Instead, his place in this reshaped roster is muddy at best.
Preseason hasn’t helped his case. He played 12 minutes against Sacramento, 22 against Golden State, and then sat Thursday with a contusion. JJ Redick is still piecing together a starting lineup through a crowded mix of wings and guards, and Knecht is not front and center in that battle.
The regression has been steep. After the high point of dropping 37 on Utah with nine threes, Knecht averaged 9.1 points while shooting 37.6% from deep as a rookie.
Last season, that slid to 4.2 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 0.4 assists in 10.2 minutes per game, with his three-point mark falling to 34.2. He appeared in 54 games, but mostly as a spectator.
Now the competition around him is even tougher. Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton, Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams, and Jake LaRavia are all chasing perimeter minutes, and Adou Thiero has impressed in the preseason enough to earn more attention from Redick. In that crowd, Knecht could easily end up buried.
Garza, on the other hand, would give Los Angeles a different kind of look. He averaged 8.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 16.2 minutes for Boston while shooting 57.7% from the field and 43.3& from three, going 55-of-127. He also had a preseason game against Cleveland with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks.
That kind of production won’t turn him into a nightly rotation anchor, but it does make him a useful offensive big. A Garza-Doncic pairing makes sense on paper because Luka thrives with centers who can roll or pop, and Garza can do both. In a second-unit role, he could open driving lanes for Sexton, Reaves, or whoever is handling the offense.
The Lakers already have Walker Kessler and Kevon Looney in the center mix, though both carry injury concerns. Sandro Mamukelashvili, who shot 38.9% from three last year, would handle the small-ball five, though that’s not an ideal setup. Garza would at least give them another scoring option and a different look behind Kessler, while the second-round pick would soften the cost.
Boston has reasons to pause, though. Garza was a useful piece last season, appearing in 69 games on a Celtics team that won 56 games even with Jayson Tatum playing only 16 of them and finished second in offensive rating at 120.8. He gave them dependable minutes without needing the ball.
The Celtics’ frontcourt also isn’t exactly bare. Mitchell Robinson, Neemias Queta, and rookie Chris Cenac Jr. are in the mix, with Robinson bringing 5.7 points and 8.8 rebounds and Queta posting 10.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks. That makes Garza available, but not disposable.
Knecht would bring a different kind of upside. Playing alongside Tatum, Paul George, Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard could produce a lot of clean looks, and a bounce back to something closer to 38% from deep wouldn’t be shocking. He scored 21.7 points per game at Tennessee and shot 39.7% from three in his final college season, so the shot is real.
Still, Boston already has plenty of wing depth. Sam Hauser and Baylor Scheierman shot 39.3 and 39.9& from three last season, and Hugo Gonzalez and Jordan Walsh are also pushing for minutes while bringing more defensive value. Knecht would add intrigue, but not a clear solution.
With Tatum healthy again, Boston has bigger goals than making a bet on a player who averaged four points a night last season. The Celtics are trying to stay ahead of the Knicks, Pistons, and 76ers in the East, and moving a productive bench big plus a pick for Knecht feels like a lot to ask. A straight swap would make more sense, especially if Boston believes there’s a real shooting upgrade waiting to happen.
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