New Lakers Trade Rumors on Dalton Knecht amid Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves Injuries

While the most pressing current issue for the Los Angeles Lakers is making sure Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves are healthy for the postseason, their offseason outlook could lead to some notable roster decisions beyond LeBron James' future.

On the latest episode of his YouTube show (starts at 38:38 mark), NBA insider Jovan Buha explained that the Lakers "are going to be shopping" Dalton Knecht in trades this summer.

The final week of the regular season has turned into an opportunity for players like Knecht to show what they might be able to contribute in a playoff setting.

Dončić (hamstring) and Reaves (oblique) have both been ruled out for the remainder of the regular season due to injuries. ESPN's Shams Charania reported the expectation is both will miss at least the start of the playoffs.

Outside of a few strong outings during his rookie year, Knecht has been dropped from head coach JJ Redick's rotation. He hasn't played more than six minutes in a game since Feb. 10 and has bounced between the NBA club and G League.

The No. 17 overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft, Knecht has frequently popped up in trade rumors. He was set to be dealt to the Charlotte Hornets prior to the trade deadline last season as part of the Mark Williams trade, but the deal was rescinded.

Knecht has appeared in 50 games this season, making one start. He is averaging 4.0 points on 44.6 percent shooting (30.4 percent from three).

The 24-year-old showed some promise in 78 appearances as a rookie, averaging 9.1 points on 37.6 percent three-point shooting. He is owed $4.2 million next season and has a $6.5 million team option for 2027-28 remaining on his rookie contract.

As the Lakers try to figure out their rotation going forward without Dončić and Reaves for the time being, Reaves has suddenly become very important to their offense. He could increase his trade value over the final five games of the regular season and into the playoffs if he performs well.