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Lakers looking for ‘workable trade’ to send out Dalton Knecht, acquire center

The Los Angeles Lakers are actively pursuing a trade to move forward-center Dalton Knecht, who has struggled to establish a consistent role despite being a high first-round pick. Knecht, selected 17th overall in 2024, flashed potential early in his rookie campaign with a 37-point performance against the Utah Jazz and brief starts, but his playing time diminished sharply as the season progressed.

By the 2024-25 playoffs, he logged just 107 minutes from February onward, offering little offensive or defensive impact beyond a 36.8% three-point shooting rate. His limited skill set—lacking strength, mobility, and playmaking ability—has made him expendable as the Lakers aim to trim their roster from 16 to 15 guaranteed contracts ahead of the regular season start.

Reports suggest Milwaukee Bucks forward Jericho Sims is one target, though the Lakers may explore other frontcourt options to address their depth concerns. Without a trade, they risk waiving Knecht—or another player—by the league’s roster cutdown deadline.

His underwhelming development, alongside Jalen Hood-Schifino’s struggles as the team’s other top-20 pick since 2020, underscores a front-office misstep that has hindered Los Angeles’ title aspirations during that span.

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