Dalton Knecht a Quiet Key To Helping LeBron, Luka Contend for Title amid Lakers Rumors

Nine different Los Angeles Lakers hit the hardwood during their season-opening loss to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night.

Dalton Knecht, the No. 17 pick of the 2024 NBA draft, wasn't one of them. After playing 78 games (and making 16 starts) as a rookie, he opened his sophomore campaign with the dreaded DNP-Coach's Decision.

Maybe this wasn't super surprising for some, since Knecht underwhelmed both at summer league and during the preseason. Still, that this happened on the same day when L.A. reportedly picked up his 2026-27 team option, per Spotrac's Keith Smith, felt at least somewhat notable.

Particularly as the Lakers were badly losing the three-point battle, finishing with just eight made threes to the Warriors' 17 (a 27-point swing, for the non-math majors in the audience).

If L.A. isn't going to turn Knecht's direction for long-distance shooting, what could make coach JJ Redick decide to clear him a rotation spot?

Right now, that's an uncomfortable question to ask. Because the Lakers secretly have a pressing need for Knecht. If he's not going to become a rotation regular for them, he at least has to play well enough to the point that other teams would be interested in adding him via trade.

It doesn't sound like that's close to the case at the moment. Following the preseason, The Athletic's Dan Woike reported that scouts were "as pessimistic as ever" about Knecht, with one even labeling him a "negative asset."

That feels harsh for a player who averaged 9.1 points on 46.1/37.6/76.2 shooting as a rookie, but it might also be fair.

Tuesday night wasn't the first time L.A. deemed Knecht unworthy of a rotation spot. Late last season, he was seeing only spot minutes or mop-up duty, and by the playoffs, even those brief glimpses had dried up.

Now, compound that disappearing act with his subsequent struggles over the summer and into the preseason slate, and you can sense a problem. A potentially big problem.

Remember, Knecht isn't your typical second-year player. He's already 24 years old. He's older than established stars like Anthony Edwards and Cade Cunningham. Upside was never the biggest selling point with Knecht.

Rather, in lieu of potential, he was supposed to offer instant-impact. He looked like a plug-and-play perimeter marksman. And while there were pressing concerns about his defensive fit, the hope was his shooting would be valuable enough to offset them.

Once he stopped making shots this summer, it became fair to ask just what kind of role (if any) he could handle at this level.

And that question should terrify the Lakers.

Because they quietly need Knecht. If not to ramp up their own three-point volume, then at least to offer enough perimeter promise to sweeten a trade package that, frankly, will never be loaded with prospects and draft picks. L.A. doesn't have much to offer of either, especially if opposing teams won't see Knecht as the former.

The good news is that one game and one benching doesn't have to define his season. Rotations are always fluid, and Redick figures to do plenty of mixing and matching in hopes of eventually finding a contending-level supporting cast to slot alongside LeBron James and Luka Dončić (who looked terrific on Tuesday).

The less-than-great news is that this isn't necessarily a new development for Knecht, so if the struggles and no-shows linger much longer, that might be viewed less like a slump and more like an exposure.

L.A. hasn't lost all belief in him. It wouldn't have picked up that option if it had. Still, the franchise can see what everyone else is watching. And right now, there's (literally) nothing to see with Knecht.