Dalton Knecht’s future with the Los Angeles Lakers appears increasingly uncertain, and Draymond Green believes the voided trade involving Mark Williams played a major role in derailing the young forward’s development.
Speaking on The Draymond Green Show, the Golden State Warriors veteran discussed reports that Knecht is expected to be the odd man out as the Lakers reduce their roster from 16 guaranteed contracts to the NBA limit of 15.
“Dalton Knecht is not expected to make the Lakers’ regular season roster. Lakers have 16 guaranteed contracts and going into the season you can only have 15 guaranteed contracts. Apparently, Bronny James and Jaden Hardy have been outplaying him in camp and he’s viewed as the odd man out,” Green said, via HoopsHype.
Knecht’s situation dates back to February, when the Lakers acquired Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets in a trade that sent Knecht and other assets to Charlotte. Los Angeles subsequently voided the deal after Williams failed his physical because of concerns surrounding his back.
Knecht returned to the Lakers after the trade was canceled, but his role did not recover. Green believes the unusual sequence of events left the 25-year-old in a difficult position.
“And it’s crazy because Dalton Knecht seemed to like he had a little bit of promise to him, but after that trade that got voided by the Hornets to bring him in and send Mark Williams to the Lakers, the Lakers voided the trade because of Mark Williams’ back,” Green said. “Dalton Knecht just been in purgatory ever since and ultimately I think it ruined him.”
Knecht had shown promise during his rookie season after the Lakers selected him with the No. 17 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. He appeared in all 78 games in 2024-25, including 16 starts, averaging 9.1 points and 2.8 rebounds in 19.2 minutes while shooting 37.6% from three-point range.
His role diminished considerably during his second season. Knecht played 54 games and averaged just 10.2 minutes, with his production falling to 4.2 points and 1.4 rebounds per game. His three-point percentage also dropped to 34.2%.
Through two seasons, Knecht has appeared in 132 games, averaging 7.1 points and 2.2 rebounds in 15.5 minutes while shooting 36.8% from three.
The Lakers have since undergone another significant roster transformation. LeBron James left for the Philadelphia 76ers, while Los Angeles added players including Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Collin Sexton, Matisse Thybulle, Kevon Looney, Ziaire Williams and Jaden Hardy to the rotation mix.
