The Los Angeles Lakers have parted ways with Dalton Knecht, two days before the 2026-27 season opens. The team announced Monday that it had waived the 2024 first-round pick. It had 16 players under contract and needed to get to the 15-man limit by the 5 p.m. ET deadline.
A trade that never came
The Lakers did not want to waive him. League sources told ESPN the team pursued two-for-one deals that would have sent out Knecht and another player for an additional big man, but nothing came together by the deadline. Insider Jovan Buha said the Lakers had been trying to move Knecht and forward Jarred Vanderbilt for nearly two seasons without success.
The roster math decided it. The Lakers kept Bronny James, Jaden Hardy and Vanderbilt, and Knecht, who has the highest salary of the group, was the one who went.
How a No. 17 pick fell out of the rotation
Knecht averaged 9.1 points on 46.1% shooting and 2.8 rebounds in 78 games as a rookie. His role shrank quickly after that. Last season he averaged 4.2 points in 10.2 minutes over 54 games. In four preseason games this month, he shot 25% from the field and 14.3% from three.
The Lakers’ offseason moves also left him little room. Quentin Grimes, Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams all arrived in recent weeks and are positioned to take minutes at his position. Coach JJ Redick has said that changes to the roster and playing style contributed to Knecht’s reduced opportunities.
What Buha says was behind it
Buha, a Lakers reporter, gave his view on a YouTube show. He pointed to Knecht’s processing and decision-making as the main issue, ahead of his slipping shooting and defense. He said it was the biggest reason the Lakers moved on and why much of the league was reluctant to take him. He also said Knecht regressed as a shooter after the first half of his rookie season and never improved much as a defender or decision-maker. These are Buha’s assessments, not statements from the team.
The financial side
Lakers Nation’s Daniel Starkand wrote on X that the team picked up Knecht’s $4.2 million option for 2026-27 last October, expecting it could trade him. Starkand argued the front office should have flipped him for value. If no team claims Knecht on waivers, that money will count against the Lakers’ cap this season. The failed Charlotte trade in February 2025 may also have hurt his standing. The Lakers sent him to the Hornets for center Mark Williams, but the deal was rescinded after Williams failed his physical.
What’s next
Knecht is 25. If he clears waivers, he becomes a free agent. The Lakers open the season Wednesday against the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena.
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