Dalton Knecht was almost banished to Charlotte midway through the 2024-25 NBA season for the Los Angeles Lakers. The second-year scorer may be able to avoid a fate so heinous this season, but it is tough to imagine him avoiding a trade altogether once Rob Pelinka gets going in 2025-26.
Knecht had a brutal summer league with the Lakers. The 24-year-old averaged 10.3 points per game with horrendous shooting numbers, knocking down a woeful 27.9 percent from the field and 23.8 percent from beyond the arc.
It was so bad that JJ Redick was forced to defend him at a recent press conference hosted by the Lakers for their head coach and President of Basketball Operations.