Los Angeles Lakers guard Dalton Knecht has had a particularly rough season. Since falling out of the rotation earlier in the campaign, Knecht found himself in an unfavorable position after being assigned to the Lakers’ G League affiliate team, the South Bay Lakers. Still, joining the G League seemed promising.
With an explosive performance in his debut for South Bay, expectations arose that Dalton Knecht would work his way back into L.A.’s rotation. Unfortunately, once the G League playoffs began, Knecht appeared to hit a wall.
Although the South Bay Lakers emerged victorious in their first-round matchup against the San Diego Clippers with a 122-119 scoreline, Knecht was underwhelming. Despite being one of South Bay’s leading scorers, the forward only posted eight points, six rebounds, and three assists while shooting 2-8 from the floor and 0-4 from three-point range in 21 minutes.
In four games with the South Bay Lakers this season, Knecht is averaging 21.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game while shooting 50.9% from the field and 39.1% from three-point range. Although the sample size is small, Knecht’s impressive displays suggested that he would be more impactful. Unfortunately, this has not been the case.
Despite his poor outing, South Bay emerged victorious behind some noteworthy performances by Malik Williams (21 PTS, 5 REB, 4 STL), Drew Timme (21 PTS, 8 REB, 6 AST), and Kobe Bufkin (20 PTS, 4 REB, 5 AST). Although this bodes well for the team, Knecht’s value has certainly taken a hit.
Dalton Knecht’s Future Is At Stake
The current scenario isn’t in Dalton Knecht’s favor. With the Purple and Gold this season, Knecht is averaging 4.0 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 0.3 assists per game while shooting 44.6% from the field and 30.4% from three-point range.
Given these figures, falling out of the Lakers’ rotation may have been inevitable. However, his struggles in the G League may further damage his reputation.
Before the trade deadline this year, the Lakers remained active in shopping the 24-year-old. Although he was included in several trade packages, it had become apparent that teams didn’t wish to part with valuable assets to acquire him.
Last season, while Knecht was still viewed as a talented prospect, the Lakers almost succeeded in trading him for Mark Williams before the deal was rescinded. Now, for all intents and purposes, Dalton Knecht’s trade value is considered to be zero.
Given that he will be owed $10.6 million over the next two years after this season, Knecht may not have much value as a trade piece either.
To add to this, the Lakers have a team option on Knecht in the remaining two years of his contract. Should the Purple and Gold choose to exercise this, the 24-year-old will find himself back on the roster. Unfortunately, given his track record, there appears to be a greater likelihood that the Lakers don’t pick up the option, effectively making him a free agent.
While free agency comes with its own set of challenges, Dalton Knecht may benefit from testing the waters. By exploring his opportunities with a rebuilding team, Knecht may be able to re-establish himself as a solid rotation piece.
