Season Review: Dalton Knecht

Year one of the Dalton Knecht experience was a roller coaster, but it demonstrated plenty of his potential and promise.

Welcome to our annual Lakers season in review series, where we’ll look back at each player on the team’s roster this season and evaluate if they should be part of the future of the franchise. Today, we continue with a look at Dalton Knecht.

Knecht’s first NBA season had the twists and turns of an over-the-top Netflix docuseries.

He had moments where he looked like the team’s future star shooting guard, and other times, his defensive deficiencies were unbearable and rendered him unplayable.

This kind of hot and cold play is common for rookies, but when you are playing for a Lakers team that only talks about winning, that kind of inconsistency takes you off the court and onto the bench.

While Knecht had enough good and bad performances to provide enough evidence for either his fans or his skeptics, when it was all said and done, he had a productive season.

He finished the year averaging 9.1 points, shot 37.6% from deep, started in 16 games and made the NBA’s Rising Stars team.

Still, when the games mattered most, Knecht was not in Redick’s circle of trust and he was sitting with the rest of the reserves as the Lakers played postseason basketball.

How did he play?

The beginning of his season was the rising action. Virtually every time Knecht came into the game, he was a shot in the arm to the Lakers’ offense. Through 11 games, he averaged 7.2 points, shooting 37% from 3-point range and had a plus-minus of +42, the second highest on the roster.

As a result of his strong play, JJ Redick had to start Knecht and he took advantage of that opportunity. He started in 11 of the next 13 games and averaged 14.2 points, shooting 40% from 3-point range. He had his best game of the season, scoring 37 points in a win against the Jazz.

In that contest, Dalton was hotter than lava. He scorched Utah, making nine of his 12 3-point attempts and his aura was palpable.

He was doing the “MJ Shrug,” LeBron James was jumping up and down like a kid in a playground and Redick saying he was in the “1% of shooters” no longer sounded like just coach speak.

Unfortunately, after the rise comes the fall.

Knecht’s shot wasn’t hitting as often anymore and his flaws and mistakes got louder. He couldn’t handle the NBA’s physicality and was pushed around as a defender, especially on pick and rolls.

Whenever plays broke down on offense, he looked lost and confused. Knecht would either stand in the corner or rotate when he wasn’t supposed to, which messed up spacing.

During one of the many Redick rants caught on tape, the Lakers head coach was forced to call a timeout because Knecht was unaware of the play being for him. It’s hard for any rookie to earn a coach’s trust and messing up your own opportunity is an easy way to fall out of favor.

He fell in the rotation and his minutes decreased to just 17 per game in January. In early February, just days before the trade deadline, the Lakers traded for Mark Williams, sending Knecht, Cam Reddish, a first-round pick and a 2030 pick swap to the Hornets to acquire the big they needed. It also brought an end to Knecht’s time in LA despite the promising rookie year

Or so we thought.

The Lakers rescinded the trade and Knecht awkwardly returned. To his credit, he handled it as well as one can. He had 10 points against the Jazz in his first game back and later in the year, he had one of his better performances when the Lakers took on the Clippers.

Knecht scored 19 points in a 108-102 win over their inner-city rival and played a great shift alongside Luka Dončić. He finished strong near the rim, grabbed rebounds, initiated fastbreaks and hit his jumpers.

However, similar performances were few and far between for Knecht. His minutes continued to fall as the season progressed and, come the postseason, he only played twice in garbage time scenarios.

When it was all said and done, the biggest takeaway Knecht said he took from this experience was that anything could happen. Murphy’s law was certainly in effect for Knecht. He somehow survived it all and remains a Laker after a year of NBA service.

What is his contract situation moving forward?

Knecht is on a rookie contract. He signed a 4-year, $18.4 million deal last summer and will enter the second year this upcoming season.

Should he be back?

If we are talking purely about his play and potential, then Knecht should return. However, that very upside makes him one of the Lakers’ most intriguing assets. An elite 3-point shooter entering the second year of their rookie contract is a hot commodity in the NBA.

It’s why Knecht was moved for Williams to begin with, and while he is back with the Lakers, it doesn’t mean they can’t move him for a big again this summer.

President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka said he’ll explore “every single unturned stone” looking for a center to add to this roster, so no Lakers besides Luka and LeBron should feel absolutely certain they’ll be back next year.

Still, a second year of Knecht in L.A. would likely benefit both parties. Knecht just had the best rookie season for a Laker in the 2020s.

He played in 78 games, averaged 9.1 points and shot 37.6% from 3-point range. That’s nearly double the number of games Max Christie played in his first year and Knecht beat Austin Reaves’s in minutes played, points scored and field goal percentage during his rookie campaign.

Both Reaves and Christie have since established themselves as legitimate NBA players, and given some time and NBA reps, there’s no reason to think Knecht won’t also improve.

Yes, he has flaws and they are loud ones. His defense needs work, and his awareness is lacking. Still, you can’t teach the shot he has.

Redick himself has admitted he’s in the upper echelon of shooters. When you also add his ability to finish strong near the rim, he can be a special player if he’s allowed to grow.

Hopefully, Knecht will return, and the Lakers can reap the benefits of Knecht’s progression. If they give up on him too fast, he could quickly join the list of players Lakers fans lament over, such as Alex Caruso.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.