The Lakers spent the late summer trying to solve a roster puzzle, and Dalton Knecht kept popping up in the middle of it.
Los Angeles had one more player than the regular-season limit allowed, which meant a cut or a trade was coming. Before the front office made its final call, the team looked around for ways to clean up the roster, with a consolidation move the most obvious route.
“My understanding is a consolidation trade. Obviously, it would be two-for-one, three-for-one, or three-for-two is a little more complicated," Lakers insider Jovan Buha said. "So I think the most straightforward one would be two-for-one…And depending on the configuration of the trade, it could be a version of two of the back-end guys, let's say Dalton Knecht and Jaden Hardy, for a backup center."
That search led the Lakers into talks with Milwaukee over Jericho Sims.
“League sources say that the Lakers and Bucks have held exploratory trade discussions on a framework that would ship former first-round selection Dalton Knecht to Milwaukee (along with second-round draft capital) in exchange for big man Jericho Sims," NBA insider Jake Fischer wrote on the Stein Line.
But the deal never got across the finish line. The hold-up was the extra draft compensation Milwaukee wanted, according to Brett Siegel.
“The Bucks had briefly talked through what Los Angeles would want but were unwilling to trade center Jericho Sims straight up for Knecht and wanted multiple second-round picks or a pick swap. This was a price the Lakers were unwilling to meet. Maybe going across the country and being back on the East Coast will be beneficial for Knecht to reinvent himself,” NBA insider Brett Siegel wrote.
That price mattered for a Lakers team with limited draft capital. Giving up multiple second-round picks or a pick swap would have thinned out their assets even more, and with Knecht’s value still uncertain, Los Angeles apparently didn’t see that as a worthwhile move.
Instead, the Lakers walked away from a deal that would have addressed their backup center need. The relationship between the team and Knecht had already been strained since the failed trade during his rookie season, and this latest round of talks ended with Los Angeles refusing Milwaukee’s asking price.
In Other News...
Lakers Already Have A Walker Kessler Problem They Can't Ignore
Walker Kessler gave the Lakers exactly the sort of start they were hoping for in the season opener, but his quick fit also highlighted how thin they are behind him. Los Angeles does not have a dependable backup center in place, and with Kessler still working back from a previous injury, the team is already in a spot where one good game can sharpen the need for more frontcourt help rather than ease it.
The Lakers are reportedly keeping an eye on the market for another big man, which makes sense given the strain they could face if Kessler has to carry too much too soon. Managing his workload is going to matter all season, and the early concern is not about whether he can help, but about how often the Lakers can ask him to do it without leaving themselves exposed elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Austin Reaves Is Forcing A New Lakers Debate Already
Austin Reaves has wasted no time making the Lakers think bigger about how this offense should be built. In the 125-117 win over the Clippers, he led Los Angeles with 28 points while Luka Doncic added 23, and the early season production has already put both players on the same scoring total through two games. For a team that spent the offseason reshaping its identity, that kind of balance has made Reaves impossible to ignore.
The praise has followed. James Worthy, Derek Fisher and former player Kevin Garnett have all singled out Reaves for the creativity and skill he brings, along with the way he affects the team beyond just scoring. The question now is not whether he belongs in the conversation, but how the Lakers sort out a rotation and pecking order when he keeps playing like this. [Read more 🡒]
Walker Kessler Is Giving The Lakers Hope At Their Biggest Need
The early part of the 2026-27 season has already produced a few fresh starts around the league, and Walker Kesslers move to Los Angeles has quickly become one of the more relevant ones for the Lakers. With every team having played at least two games, Kessler has shown strong performances after arriving in a sign-and-trade deal, giving the Lakers an immediate look at a player who can help where they have been thinnest.
For a team trying to shore up its biggest need, those opening games matter more than the usual October noise. Kessler has brought the kind of early impact that can change the conversation around roster fit, especially for a Lakers group that has been watching how other newly moved players are settling in and producing right away. The question now is whether this early promise turns into something lasting as the season gets moving. [Read more 🡒]