When the 76ers made their No. 16 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Dalton Knecht was still on the board after a slide that had plenty of people thinking Philadelphia might grab him. Instead, the Sixers chose Jared McCain, and the reaction wasn’t exactly gentle. A lot of draft watchers figured Knecht was the safer, more proven call.
That argument looks a lot weaker now.
The Lakers waived Knecht, who went right after McCain in 2024, after they couldn’t find a trade partner for the 25-year-old and needed to get their roster down to 15 before the regular season. It’s a sharp turn for a player some had pointed to as the obvious value swing in that draft slot.
The Los Angeles Lakers are waiving 2024 No. 17 pick Dalton Knecht, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/SaeDxdSBUo
- Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 19, 2026
Philadelphia, meanwhile, no longer even has McCain. The Sixers traded him to the Thunder before the deadline, getting a 2026 first-round pick, a 2027 second-round pick, and two 2028 second-round picks in return. That move looked controversial at the time, too, but the chain of events has shifted the picture considerably.
The first-round pick Philadelphia received in that deal became Labaron Philon Jr., and his playmaking has already stood out for the Sixers. With Knecht now out of Los Angeles and McCain no longer in Philadelphia, the original draft debate has taken on a very different shape.
Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report was among those who questioned the Sixers for taking McCain over Knecht, writing:
But if Philly wanted a net-shredder, why not go with the plug-and-play Dalton Knecht here instead? This feels like an upside play from a team that should be operating in championship-or-bust mode.
That kind of reaction wasn’t rare, and it’s not the point here to pretend draft opinions never miss. They do, all the time. But in this case, the teams that passed on Knecht didn’t end up looking foolish, and the Lakers certainly didn’t uncover a hidden gem.
The signs were there for a while. Back at the beginning of 2025, the Lakers agreed to send Knecht to the Hornets in the failed trade for Mark Williams, a move that made it pretty clear his future in Los Angeles wasn’t secure. In 54 games this past season, he averaged 4.2 points on 45.5% shooting from the field and 34.2% from three.
His job in LA was simple: make shots. When that didn’t happen consistently, and with defense also not carrying him, the end came quickly.
None of that means the Sixers have to love every part of how Daryl Morey handled the McCain situation. But it does mean Philadelphia can point to the 2024 draft and say it did not end up with Knecht.
And with the Sixers in a completely different place now than they were in 2024, and even this past February, there’s not much reason to linger on either decision.
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