Lakers release former first-round pick Dalton Knecht
The move to release Knecht means that Bronny James and Jaden Hardy will make the Lakers' opening-night roster.
On Monday, the Los Angeles Lakers waived their 2024 first-round draft pick, Dalton Knecht, ahead of the upcoming season. The team had reached the standard roster size of 15 players with 16 on standard contracts. The Lakers had been seeking a trade to reduce their roster, but no deals materialized. Team sources told ESPN that the Lakers explored 2-for-1 trade opportunities, targeting another player to acquire an additional big man, but failed to reach an agreement by the deadline.
Knecht, selected 17th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft from the University of Tennessee, had a promising start to his rookie season. He averaged 21.7 points and shot 39.7% from beyond the arc. However, his playing time diminished, and he was used mostly in garbage time by the end of last season. Despite a solid preseason performance against the Golden State Warriors on October 6, with 11 points on 3-of-8 shooting, Knecht went scoreless in the remaining three preseason games.
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- Lakers have waived Dalton Knecht ahead of season opener sports.yahoo.com
