Category: Sports News

The Lakers waived former first-round pick Dalton Knecht on Monday to reach the NBA’s maximum roster requirements before the season begins this week.

The 17th overall pick in the 2024 draft had fallen out of the rotation in the last two seasons but had a chance to prove himself during training camp and the preseason, when the Lakers had 16 players on guaranteed contracts. Knecht, who averaged 4.2 points per game and 10.2 minutes per game last season, played just 14 combined minutes in the last two preseason games.

Knecht’s role had greatly diminished since he flashed his scoring potential as a rookie. After scoring 37 points in a win over the Utah Jazz in November 2024 and tying the single-game rookie record with nine made three-pointers, Knecht looked as if he could have been the steal of the draft. But after a trade to Charlotte for center Mark Williams was rescinded, Knecht never settled back into the rotation.

Read more:Plaschke: The new-look Lakers have much to prove and no chance of winning it all

The Lakers brought in nine new players during an offseason roster overhaul, further burying Knecht on the forward depth chart.

“The team changed,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said of Knecht ahead of the Lakers’ preseason finale last Friday. “The needs changed, the fit changed. I think he got better as a player over the last two years.”

The Lakers looked into acquiring center Jericho Sims from the Milwaukee Bucks during the preseason in exchange for Knecht, sources close to the situation but not authorized to speak publicly told The Times. But talks broke down when the Lakers were unwilling to part with multiple second-round draft picks.

The Lakers, who wanted to solidify their backup center position behind Walker Kessler, have only three second-round draft picks (2031, 2032 and 2033) available to trade. They already don’t control their first-round pick until 2032 after sending two first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps to Utah to acquire Kessler this summer.

Knecht was given an “excused absence” from practice Monday, Redick said. The deadline for teams to reach the maximum of 15 standard contract players was 2 p.m. PDT Monday before regular-season games begin Tuesday. The Lakers open their season Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena against the Golden State Warriors.

Redick also said guard Bronny James was excused from practice, noting there were players who were “under the weather.” The third-year guard who was picked 55th overall in the same draft as Knecht remained on the Lakers’ updated roster.

James worked his way into the postseason rotation last season while the Lakers were struggling with injuries to their backcourt. He averaged 2.9 points and 1.2 assists during the regular season while shooting 38.6% from three.

Injury update

For the first time since training camp started, Collin Sexton was a full participant in practice with the Lakers on Monday. Still, Sexton wasn’t ready to fully commit to playing in the Lakers’ season-opener Wednesday.

Sexton missed all five preseason games and a lot of practices with a lower right leg injury.

Sexton, who said he felt good at practice, was asked about playing against the Warriors.

“We’ll be taking it day by day,” he said. “At the end of the day, I had a really good practice today, felt good. Super excited to be back out there with the guys, so I look forward to it.”

Sexton said he had some “tightness and stuff” in his lower leg, “but I feel pretty good.”

He was asked what caused the injury.

Read more:Luka Doncic, JJ Redick believe revamped Lakers can contend for an NBA title

“Nothing particular,” Sexton said. “I think we figured it out and now we’re just moving forward and just continue to get these reps in, continue to play five on five, and get out there as soon as possible.”

Sexton is a 6-1 point guard the Lakers signed to back up Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves in the backcourt. The Lakers signed him to a two-year, $19.2-million deal.

“He’s another guy that can bring the ball up and can create his own [mismatch],” Doncic said. “So we’re excited to have him back.”

Second-year forward Adou Thiero and rookie guard Cameron Carr both missed practice Monday.

But having Sexton back was a good sign for the Lakers.

“It felt good, super excited to be back out there, honestly, just getting out there and getting up and down, legs felt a little heavy, but it was great,” Sexton said. “It was definitely a great day, great practice for the team as well, and the guys were really competing.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

There are only so many spots available on any NBA roster. That’s especially true for a young team like the Brooklyn Nets — average age 24.31 years, with rookie contracts accounting for eight of their 15 standard deals.

That’s why Summer League, training camp, and the preseason are so valuable for those Exhibit 10 and two-way players hoping to make their way up the totem pole. For Exhibit 10’s, the goal could be to show enough to eventually earn a two-way spot, while those already on two-way deals look to prove they deserve a standard contract.

As Chaney Johnson and Grant Nelson enter their second year with the Nets organization, and their first full seasons on two-way contracts, proving themselves is exactly what they sought to do all offseason.

Both have a different, tougher background than many of their teammates. They are natives of small town America — Johnson from Alabaster, Alabama, Nelson from Devil’s Lake, North Dakota. They were passed over by big schools, winding up at smaller schools, the University of Alabama at Huntsville and North Dakota State before, ironically, joining rivals Auburn and Alabama.

Now, even after going undrafted, they’ve almost made it as NBA two-ways. The problem, however, is that with so many young players and established veterans competing for minutes on a team now looking to win, playing time is already limited.

Regardless of the minutes available, Johnson and Nelseon have done everything they can to show Sean Marks 7 organization they can perform at the NBA level.

Chaney Johnson

Let’s start with Johnson, 24, who has, quite literally, done just about everything the Nets could have asked of him since joining the organization as a two-way in December.

After starting his college career at Division II University of Alabama Huntsville, going undrafted out of Auburn, and spending time with the Cleveland Cavaliers on an Exhibit 10 deal, Johnson made an immediate impact in the G League for the Nets.

Across 24 outings for Brooklyn’s G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, he averaged 14.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.1 steals before earning an opportunity to contribute in Brooklyn late in the season. He capitalized on that end-of-season chance, averaging 8.2 points and 4.6 rebounds in 17 games, while playing with grit and competitiveness. That’s the fire Jordi Fernández loves to see in his players.

That continued into Summer League, where he led the Las Vegas portion in steals, and most recently, the preseason, which wrapped up on Wednesday. What stands out about Johnson is that he does the dirty work. He crashes the boards and has even held his own at the center position despite being just 6’7” and change, a byproduct of knowing how to use his physicality to his advantage.

Johnson also seems to have emerged as a favorite in the team’s locker room, largely because of his relentless work ethic. Speaking with reporters during the preseason, Egor Dëmin had some high praise for the Alabaman.

“[Chaney] is the hardest working guy in the gym,” he said. “He’s going to develop into a [standard] contract at some point. He’s going to be amazing. I’m glad to have him as a teammate. He does the work that not many people want to do on the court. And he’s grateful for having that opportunity. I think that’s rare and I appreciate him a lot.”

With defensive concerns, particularly in the frontcourt this season, someone like Johnson, who brings a kind of defensive intensity, could be valuable. Johnson’s work so far may indeed warrant a standard contract. The issue, though, is finding room for him.

The Nets already have 15 players on standard deals, and it doesn’t look like they’ll make any cuts from that group. Eight of their 15 players on standard deals are still on rookie contracts, while the others are veteran locks to make the roster when it’s finalized at day’s end.

That leaves Johnson in a tough spot. The numbers just don’t work in his favor for a standard deal. Still, I wouldn’t be surprised if he finds his way into Brooklyn’s rotation this season, especially with injuries. Keep in mind, two-way players can dress for 50 NBA games before they need to be converted to standard contracts.

Johnson told ND last season that his ambitions are lofty, but considering where he’s come from, one shouldn’t dismiss them.

“I want to be one of the better players in the NBA,” Johnson said of his aspirations. “All-Defensive First Team or Second Team and possibly have an NBA championship, I want to be one of the greatest players to ever touch the ball.”

On Monday, a blogger who tracks the G League and two-ways described C.J. as the NBA two-way player most likely to break out this season…

The best thing Johnson can do is keep impressing his teammates and coaches with his work ethic while showing his defensive value. If he could flash as a defensive chip this season, that would be a huge win for the Nets.

Grant Nelson

Nelson has taken somewhat the same path, starting out in North Dakota where his combination of shooting and athleticism later earned him the nickname, “Dakota Durant”. North Dakota’s Mr. Basketball, he eventually found his way to a bigger school as well, Alabama. Both wound up taking their adopted Division I schools to the NCAA Final Four.

The 7-footer dealt with knee issues for much of last season with the Nets, just as he had his last season in Tuscaloosa, making it difficult for him to produce consistently. But when he was healthy, there were some encouraging results. In 15 G League starts, he averaged 24 points and 12 rebounds per 36 minutes. That was following a seven-week rehab program with Long Island’s player performance team.

After that strong stretch on Long Island, he earned a 10-day contract with Brooklyn, where he played 35 minutes and tallied 17 points, six rebounds, six assists, and three blocks. However, after his 10-day deal wasn’t renewed, it was revealed that his season would be cut short due to patellar tendinitis, commonly known as “jumper’s knee.”

As he continued to rehab, the Alabama product missed all of Summer League, though he remained on the team’s roster and traveled to both Sacramento and Las Vegas with the squad before getting converted to a two-way deal.

“I spent the whole summer rehabbing,” Nelson told reporters on Media Day. “I was pretty much getting my quad strength back after my tendon and I think the staff here did a great job helping me achieve 100 percent which I haven’t been at for a while.” .

After recovering, Nelson averaged 6.8 points and 2.3 rebounds in four preseason games. He particularly stood out in the Nets’ preseason win over the Washington Wizards, where he didn’t enter until the fourth quarter but had nine points in nine minutes, while also grabbing four rebounds, including three on offense, and shooting 4-of-5 (80%), including 1-of-2 from deep (50%).

That improve shooting, he said, was a benefit of having all that time rehabbing.

“My shooting, definitely,” he told NetsDaily when asked what’s better about his game. “It was a big emphasis knowing I was going to be out at the end of last season, this gives me a chance to hone in on my shooting mechanics and work with the great staff we have here. So I think my shooting has become much better. So I’m excited to show that this season coming up.”

At 7 feet, the 24-year-old moves well for his size and brings offensive versatility that isn’t common for someone his size. He is also highly athletic, setting the NBA Combine’s record for the shuttle run at 2.58 seconds and recording a 35.5” max vertical. He also has shown off good timing. Ask Cooper Flagg who once tried to get him on a poster…

What we mentioned with Johnson is even more applicable to Nelson: the Nets’ lack of frontcourt defense, especially rim protection in Nelson’s case, could lead to opportunities.

After losing Nic Claxton this offseason, the Nets don’t currently have a consistent, proven rim protector on their roster. Day’Ron Sharpe is a great offensive rebounder and Noah Clowney can block shots, but is more of forward. That’s where Nelson could potentially find an opportunity. He isn’t built like a traditional rim protector, but is very athletic and offers size, solid mobility… and an offensive game. At the very least, Nelson is another piece for Fernández to experiment with.

Could both earn a rotation spot?

Unlike the prior two years, Brooklyn is actually looking to win games this season. Yes, player development is still a priority, but the squad also needs to put players on the floor who can contribute to wins.

Johnson probably has the better chance right now, given his sample size in the pros last year and his strong Summer. He also offers positional size and versatility, which the Nets value.

Nelson is more of a developmental project, but again, injuries and the Nets’ lack of established frontcourt depth could create chances for him as well. Most likely, both players will spend ample time on Long Island, and those are valuable minutes.

Long Island’s season kicks off on November 6, which means if both players aren’t yet breaking through in Brooklyn by then, they will have a chance to get valuable playing time in the G League and make their presence felt. Nelson alluded to that on Media Day. “I’m super excited to get out there and play in Long Island or hopefully with this top team and getting more experience.” Better than sitting on the bench or showing up to NBA games in street clothes or watching from Alabaster or Devil’s Lake.

In the winter of 2014, I was struggling through my freshman year of college. After spending my entire childhood in the North Texas suburbs, I made the reckless and ill-advised decision to attend a private university in central Illinois. Things weren’t going well for me— my mental health was in the gutter, I was abusing substances and failing my classes, and couldn’t stop feeling desperately, pathetically homesick.

Mavericks’ basketball was a lifeline during this time. Through my angst and depression, I could always look forward to locking in with Dirk Nowitzki, Monta Ellis, and Tyson Chandler during the early days of that infamous 2014-2015 season. That team was incredibly fun to watch, and for the first time since winning the title in 2011, it seemed like they could make a serious run. After all, Dallas had the best offensive rating in league history during those first few months.

We all know what happened next: Dallas made the Rajon Rondo trade and nuked their season. I remember being home for winter break when the news broke. My friend and I got the notification and celebrated, sure that our contending team was adding the final piece to the puzzle. Despite concerns about fit (with both the roster and coach Rick Carlisle), bringing in a talent like Rondo was a risk worth taking.

It didn’t work out. Rondo fit horribly, clashed with Carlisle and Dirk, and quit on the team as the Mavericks flamed out in the first round of the playoffs. It was a disastrous trade, one that destroyed a promising season with added potential to set the franchise back for years to come.

But it didn’t. When Dallas made that fateful trade with the Boston Celtics, they tossed a young, undersized big man into the deal. His name was Dwight Harlan Powell, and he became one of the most important Dallas Mavericks in team history.

When Powell first came to Dallas, no one was really sure what he was. Drafted 45th overall in 2014 by the Hornets, Powell bounced from Charlotte to Cleveland before eventually settling with the Celtics to start his rookie season. The Stanford product played just nine total minutes for Boston before the Rondo deal, so Maverick fans didn’t have many reference points. Powell worked his way into a depth role for Dallas that season, appearing in a handful of games and mostly shooting pick-and-pop midrange jumpers. I remember thinking, “This guy can shoot a bit, and he moves pretty well, too.”

But that was never going to be a viable role for a player of Powell’s size and skill level. A classic tweener prospect, Powell was too small to handle traditional center responsibilities at the NBA level. Unfortunately, he also wasn’t a good enough shooter or scorer to play the four spot. To get out of tweener jail and make an impact for Dallas, Powell had to get creative. He understood that a player like him needed to do the little things better than anyone else. Screen setting, dribble-handoff facilitation, offensive rebounding, positioning, and defensive mobility became his calling cards. Through sharpening these tools, Powell turned himself into one of the most proficient pick-and-roll centers in the NBA. Powell leveraged his one big NBA skill (athleticism) into elite finishing as a lob threat, a feat that looks a lot simpler than it really is.

In 2018, the Mavericks drafted Luka Doncic and changed Powell’s life. Doncic, arguably the best pick-and-roll ball handler of all time, formed a beautiful, symbiotic relationship with the 6’10 pogo stick. Powell’s strong, physical screens created so much space for Doncic to operate. His perfectly executed rolls to the rim provided crucial vertical spacing for Dallas offense. All Doncic had to do was read the defense and exploit whatever advantage they created. From 2018-2020, the Doncic/Powell two-man combo posted a 120.1 offensive rating in 1,430 shared minutes. People wanted to give Doncic sole credit for this success, but Powell was absolutely essential in unlocking the lethal Mavericks offense during the Luka era.

In January of 2020, when he was at the peak of his powers, Powell tore his Achilles, ending his season and beyond. As a 29-year-old center whose entire game was predicated on plus athleticism and jumping ability, this was a devastating blow to Powell’s career. Losing even a bit of the juice that made Powell such a dynamic lob threat had disastrous implications, and it was fair to wonder if he’d even be able to hang around the NBA for much longer.

But Powell didn’t let those daunting prospects detour him. Instead, he did what he’s always done: work harder than everyone else. Not content to accept taking a backseat in his career, Powell attacked his rehab relentlessly and returned to the floor in December of 2020, less than a calendar year removed from sustaining the injury. Though he struggled through that season, he was able to reclaim his starting role and play all 82 games during the 2021-2022 run to the Western Conference Finals. Powell remained essential to the Maverick offense, but when Dallas flamed out in the Conference Finals against the Warriors, he was scapegoated for their failure. Kevon Looney, Golden State’s starting center, had a career series and punished Dallas on the offensive glass, where Powell has always struggled. You heard the refrain everywhere you went: Dwight Powell is not good enough to start at center on a contending team.

And you know what? That’s probably always been true. Powell is far from a perfect player, and his deficiencies are obvious to the casual basketball fan. He’s one of the worst rim-protecting bigs you’ll ever see. He struggles to control the defensive glass. He can’t shoot, he can’t dribble, and he can’t post up. All of these things stick out like a sore thumb when things aren’t going well.

But the things Powell does well aren’t as obvious to the naked eye. The average fan might not clock how the timing and cadence of a Powell screen creates an easy shot for a teammate. It’s hard for people to understand how knowing where to be on the floor, when to flow into a different action, and how to move can help an offense. It’s not sexy to always make the right, simple read whenever the ball ends up in your hands. When Powell gets scored on at the rim, it’s easy to deride him. But when he perfectly executes a blitz, recovers to his man, cuts off a drive, and closes out to a shooter, there’s no box score stat to reflect the impact.

This has always been the story of Dwight Powell. Because of his clear weaknesses, modest box score production, and middling team success, Powell has long been the subject of fan proxy wars. Many simply couldn’t understand why Dallas kept wasting their time and resources on the guy. For years and years, folks seemed to think that if the Dwight Powell spot could be upgraded, everything else would fall into place. People pined for far worse players like Andre Drummond and DeAndre Jordan. Whoever the Mavericks brought in to take his place, Powell proved to be a better option.

This was true until the 2023-2024 season, when the Mavericks added the two-headed monster of Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford. By this point in Powell’s career, he was rightfully transitioned to third-string, vibes-based backup. It was the perfect role for him at this time, and Dallas rode their improved frontcourt rotation all the way to the NBA Finals.

It was never Powell’s fault that he was often overtasked as a starting center; all he did was play his role to the absolute best of his abilities. This remained true even in his final years, when Powell was deployed as a sparkplug depth option when the team needed energy and competence. Because if there’s one thing Dwight Powell is going to do, it’s play harder than the guys in front of him. Even with his skills and athleticism severely diminished, Powell swung countless sleepy regular season games by injecting life into the team.

And apart from all of the genuine impact Powell had on the basketball court, his greatest success in Dallas has to be what he brought to both the organization and community away from it. Ask any teammate Powell has ever had, and they will gush with praise. He leads by example with his work ethic and unselfishness, showing every young player what it means to be a pro. Despite being openly derided by much of the fanbase and constantly having his role in flux, Powell never complained a single time. When Dereck Lively took his starting spot, Powell embraced the rookie with class and elegance, offering nothing but support and guidance. During every single game, no matter how much he was playing, Powell was always the most active and energetic member of the bench. These things matter.

Powell also recognized the importance of making an impact in the community. He cared deeply for Dallas, the fans, and everyone else he came into contact with. Powell devoted a ton of time and effort to community work, the extent of which we really can’t know, because Powell didn’t do these things for show. Like Dirk Nowitzki before him, Powell operated away from cameras and the spotlight. The only time you heard about his charitable exploits was when other people talked about them. Because Powell doesn’t care about attention, he doesn’t care about fame, and he doesn’t care what others think. He tries to show up for others as often as he can. That’s the most admirable quality a professional athlete can have.

Dwight Powell spent 12 years on the periphery of my life as someone I always supported and appreciated. During that time, I went through countless personal ups and downs and became a man. While I am going to miss Powell in Dallas terribly, no one is going to miss him more than my mother, Powell’s biggest fan. She dubbed him “Super Dwight” and was always so happy any time he checked into a game. A couple of years ago, after a particularly good Powell performance, I texted my mom to talk about him. After discussing his game, I asked her to name her top three Dwight Powell qualities. Her response: “Hustle, setting screens, and attitude on the court. Humility, generosity, and charity off the court.” I can’t think of any better way to sum up everything that Powell is about. Best of luck to Dwight in his next endeavor— he will always, always be a Maverick.

The Los Angeles Lakers have come to a decision on their roster to open the season.

Dalton Knecht has been waived, the team announced Monday afternoon. The move puts the Lakers roster at 15 players, the limit under NBA rules.

The Lakers, who carried 16 players through the preseason, had a choice to make between Knecht and Bronny James. Both players were held out of practice ahead of Monday's 2 p.m. cut deadline, with head coach JJ Redick saying the two cut candidates were "under the weather." And despite rumors over the weekend of trade talks centered around Knecht, it appears president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka ultimately decided to make a clean break.

The Golden State Warriors can finally take a moment to breathe.

After Steph Curry left Sunday’s open practice early due to an ankle injury, head coach Steve Kerr said on Monday that Curry is fine and he expects him to play in their season opener on Wednesday night, against the Los Angeles Lakers.

“He’s fine. Yeah, he practiced full today,” Kerr said to Kendzo Fukuda of Clutch Points.

The potential loss of Curry came after he was seen gingerly limping off the court with a non-contact injury during an open practice at the Chase Center.

Kerr said that initially, it gave him a bit of a scare seeing Curry exit early, but after he went and checked on him in the training room, he knew everything was okay.

“He told me immediately that he was fine,” Kerr said.

Last season, Curry appeared in only 43 games for Golden State after missing an extensive amount of time due to runner’s knee.

When he was on the court, the Warriors were 24-19. When he wasn’t, they were 13-26.

Last season, Curry averaged 26.6 points, while having a 46.8 shooting percentage from the field and 39.3% from downtown.

When he wasn’t scoring points, Curry was also averaging 3.6 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.1 steals while playing an average of 30.9 minutes per game.

Last month, Curry and the Warriors agreed to a two-year $116 million contract extension that includes a player option after the 2028-2029 season.

While the NBA season has yet to start, Golden State is already being impacted by injuries.

Both Jimmy Butler and Kristaps Porzingis won’t be available for the season opener as Butler is returning from a torn ACL and is expected to return to action around late January or early February next year.

Porzingis’ timeline is currently unknown, as he’s out indefinitely.

Kerr said that while his center is out, he won’t be traveling with the team and that he wanted to give him space so that he can focus on the rest of the team.

Once a draft steal for the Lakers, Dalton Knecht’s drastic fall has bottomed out.

On Monday, the Lakers made official a move many had speculated this preseason in waiving Knecht, bringing their roster to 15 players.

Prior to Friday’s preseason finale for LA, head coach JJ Redick spoke about Knecht’s situation and what changed from his rookie year to this season.

“I think the biggest thing is the team changed,” Redick said. “The team changed. The needs changed. The fit changed. I think he got better as a player over the last two years. I think each guy has, particularly last year, each guy got plenty of opportunities with the amount of injuries we had. I just think, coming into this year, we got a lot of wings and he’s in a tough spot right now.”

For a brief moment in his rookie career, Knecht looked not only like a diamond in the rough but also a potential Rookie of the Year. But as fast as he burst onto the scene, he faded into the background.

The lasting memory of his tenure in LA will be the failed trade for Mark Williams. After the team acquired Luka Dončić, they immediately moved to bring in a lob-catching center, sending Knecht in a trade package to the Hornets.

That trade, though, was rescinded days later after the deadline. Although he was already on a downward trajectory before then, that moment seemed to seal his fate.

He was given various opportunities throughout his remaining time with the team, but was never able to make an impression. Much of that was due to his continued defensive shortcomings with little progress made on that end of the floor throughout his time in the league.

Coming into training camp, the Lakers had 16 guaranteed contracts with only 15 players allowed on a roster, meaning there was a competition for the final spot. Knecht’s lack of presence throughout the preseason, whether that be in quotes from head coach JJ Redick or actual playing time, showed where he stood.

The limited time he did get on the court offered little reason for optimism. He didn’t make much of an argument to keep him on the roster, bringing us to this decision.

The Lakers now are at 15 players on the roster.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

After months of anticipation, the Lakers finally made the necessary move to become compliant with the league’s roster rules. 

The team waived Dalton Knecht on Monday ahead of the league’s 2 p.m. deadline to trim their roster from 16 to 15 players signed to standard contracts. 

The Lakers have been needing to trim their roster since signing Matisse Thybulle to a veteran’s minimum contract in late July.

When asked after the team’s practice on Monday whether a decision had been made, coach JJ Redick responded, “those decisions will be made at 2 [p.m.].”

After nearly three months of deliberation, and less than a couple of hours after Redick spoke with reporters, the Lakers decided to part ways with the third-year wing whose role with the team has diminished over the last couple of years. 

Knecht and third-year guard Bronny James were excused from Monday’s practice.

The franchise selected Knecht with the No. 17 pick in the 2024, with the former Tennessee Volunteer making a big splash early on as a rookie.   

He was in the rotation from the start of the 2024-25 season, stepping into the starting lineup in mid-November amid injuries — which produced the best stretch of his brief NBA career: Knecht averaged 18.9 points and 4.9 rebounds in the final nine games of November 2024 (nine starts). 

Even when he hit a shooting slump in January and December, the 6-foot-5 wing was still getting consistent playing time as a part of the rotation. 

It looked like Knecht was going to come out of the slump after scoring 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting in the Lakers’ win over the Clippers on Feb. 4, 2025. 

But his career hasn’t been the same since. 

The Lakers included him in the trade for Mark Williams that was rescinded, and Knecht’s playing time for the Lakers wasn’t the same after he returned to the team. 

That was still true during his second season with the Lakers in 2025-26: He played 553 total minutes during the regular season across 54 games after recording 1,494 minutes in 78 regular-season games as a rookie. 

“The biggest thing is the team changed,” coach JJ Redick said last week when asked where things went wrong for Knecht. “The team changed. The needs changed, the fit changed. I think he got better as a player over the last two years. I think each guy has, particularly last year, each guy got plenty of opportunities with the amount of injuries we had. So I just think coming into this year, we added a lot of wings and he’s in a tough spot right now.”

Knecht averaged just 2.8 points (11.8 minutes per game) in four of the Lakers’ five preseason games.