Lakers About to Fire Disaster Rookie? Unbelievable Ending
The Los Angeles Lakers failed to make the offseason upgrades that the fanbase was desperately hoping for. While the additions of Marcus Smart, Deandre Ayton, and Jake LaRavia will certainly help, it’s hard to categorize the Lakers as a contender in the loaded Western Conference. To get there, the Lakers need to make a few savvy moves and round out the roster.
The biggest obstacle in LA’s path is the sheer number of bad contracts for players who are not reliable role players. Maxi Kleber, Gabe Vincent, and Jarred Vanderbilt all have eight-figure annual salaries for next season. Yet, none of them are as expendable as Dalton Knecht. If the Lakers are going to make any moves to upgrade, Knecht has to be included in the deal.
Dalton Knecht’s Days in Los Angeles Are Numbered
Despite the Lakers’ desperate need for more shooting and wing play last season, Knecht failed to be a part of the rotation when the team needed him the most. After the trade that sent him to the Hornets at the deadline was rescinded following Mark Williams’ failed physical, Knecht’s confidence was completely shot.
Things took a turn for the worse in this year’s summer league, when the 24-year-old shooting guard struggled in a big way, averaging 11.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.5 turnovers per game on 32.1/23.7/64.3 shooting splits. Considering the level of competition in the summer league, that is a performance the Lakers simply can’t feel good about.
At this point, Knecht likely doesn’t have much trade value. Yet, there could be a team that could see him as a rehabilitation project and treat him as a positive value. Spending another season in Los Angeles as a benchwarmer would only tank his trade value further.
That is why it is a priority for the Lakers to move on from him before the summer ends. Whether it’s by including him in a package as part of a bigger trade or by attaching draft capital next to him to get a better player in that salary slot, the Lakers have to cut their losses with their 17th-overall pick from a season ago.