Dalton Knecht had been slumping in the California Classic before finally breaking out in the finale against the San Antonio Spurs, exploding in the fourth quarter to give the Los Angeles Lakers a comeback win.
It was the kind of signature summer performance that the Lakers needed to see from Knecht, who had a rollercoaster of a rookie season. He started the 2024-25 season as a promising rookie before being traded to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Mark Williams. However, Knecht found his way back to Los Angeles after the team rescinded the deal though he was largely rode the bench in the second half of the year.
Heading into Year 2, there’s some uncertainty about the guard’s future with the Lakers as they have been linked to numerous players in the trade market. Knecht is one of the few positive assets L.A. has to use in a deal, so he’ll continue to hear his name thrown in trade proposals.
Following the conclusion of the regular season, Knecht revealed he has spoken and met with Redick on multiple occasions and detailed what’s come of those meetings, via Khobi Price of the Southern California News Group:
“After the season we had a talk and stuff like that,” Knecht said of his conversations with Lakers coach JJ Redick. “And we’ve been doing a workout. We’ve got lunch and stuff. Just talking and getting to know each other more and then being able to communicate with each other.
“That’s the most important thing. Then, obviously, JJ is a great shooter and we’ve just been doing shooting drills and stuff like that. It’s good just getting to the gym with your head coach. Learn from him, because he’s a great shooter as well.”
Redick was seen as the perfect coach for Knecht as the Laker head coach was one of the best movement shooters in the NBA at his peak. It’s easy to envision Knecht being utilized the same way Redick was as a player, though there are still concerns over his defense.
Even though Knecht could be dealt again, the Lakers have every reason to be invested in his development as he could some day turn into a valuable role player for them. It’ll be interesting to see how much run the sharpshooter gets if he’s still on the roster for the 2025-26 campaign.
Dalton Knecht shares highlights from rookie season
Dalton Knecht may not have gotten much playing time toward the end of his rookie season, but he still had plenty of highlights to share on social media at the conclusion.
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