LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers are waiving Dalton Knecht after failing to find a trade for the former first-round pick before Monday’s roster deadline, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The move brings the Lakers down to the NBA maximum of 15 standard contracts and ends a turbulent two-year run in Los Angeles for Knecht, the No. 17 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
The Lakers could not find a deal
As LakersBeat reported earlier Monday, Los Angeles entered the deadline with 16 players on standard contracts and needed to clear one roster spot. The Lakers spent the weekend exploring the trade market for Knecht, but no deal materialized before the 2 p.m. Pacific deadline.
The Lakers had reportedly discussed possibilities involving Milwaukee Bucks center Jericho Sims, but those conversations did not produce an agreement. With the deadline arriving and no workable trade available, waiving Knecht became the cleanest way to reach the regular-season limit.
A promising start that never found stability
Knecht’s Lakers tenure opened with real promise. His rookie season included a 37-point performance against the Utah Jazz in which he tied the NBA rookie record with nine 3-pointers. His shooting immediately looked capable of changing games, but his place in the rotation became increasingly uncertain as the roster and the team’s needs changed.
The Lakers agreed to send Knecht to Charlotte in the February 2025 trade for Mark Williams, only for the deal to be rescinded after Williams failed the Lakers’ physical. Knecht returned to Los Angeles, but he never fully reestablished a consistent role under head coach JJ Redick.
By this preseason, the Lakers’ wing depth had created an even tighter path to minutes. The final decision keeps Bronny James on the standard roster and gives Los Angeles a compliant 15-man group heading into the regular season.
What happens next for Dalton Knecht
Knecht will now go through the waiver process, giving other teams an opportunity to claim him. If he clears waivers, he will become an unrestricted free agent and can sign with any team.
For the Lakers, the transaction settles the roster question that followed them through the final days of the preseason. For Knecht, it offers a chance to find a team with a clearer role and more dependable minutes for a 25-year-old shooter who has already shown he can catch fire at the NBA level.