The Los Angeles Lakers have made a surprise contract decision on second-year wing Dalton Knecht.
After LA begrudgingly brought back the 6-foot-6 Tennessee product following a botched attempt to trade him to the Charlotte Hornets for Mark Williams, the bloom was a bit off the rose for Knecht to end the season.
More news: Lakers’ LeBron James Set to Make Unfortunate Personal History With Injury Setback
By the start of the playoffs, Knecht had been relegated to riding pine, and was fully out of head coach JJ Redick’s lineups.
Now, Los Angeles has opted to pick up its $4.2 million third-year contract option for Knecht in 2026-27, reports Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
The Lakers have exercised their contract option on Dalton Knecht for next season for $4.2 million, a source confirmed to ESPN.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 21, 2025
Los Angeles selected the now-24-year-old with the No. 17 pick in the first round last year’s 2024 NBA Draft. Bronny James, son of 21-time All-NBA superstar power forward LeBron James, was taken with the No. 55 pick.
Across 78 heathy games with the Lakers (16 starts), Knecht averaged 9.1 points on .461/.376/.862 shooting splits and 2.8 rebounds across 19.2 minutes per. Those are encouraging shooting numbers, yes, but his defensive deficiencies and questions about his speed limited his usefulness on a win-now squad.
Given this clear Lakers apathy about Knecht, it’s a bit surprising that his third-year option was picked up. Still, it makes sense from a transactional perspective, as Knecht will be easier for team president Rob Pelinka to trade if he’s on a rookie-scale salary for as long as possible.
More news: Lakers’ JJ Redick Provides Ominous Update on LeBron James Sciatica Injury
Knecht’s ceiling, pretty clearly, is as an off-ball cutter and 3-point marksman. It’s unclear just how trustworthy he is off the catch in a high-paced NBA offense.
Los Angeles needs some of its younger players, like Knecht, to hit this year if the team expects to be able to reach its anticipated heights.
Last year’s Lakers finished with a 50-32 record (albeit while trotting out two very different rosters pre- and post-Luka Doncic trade), but ran out of steam in the playoffs, falling to the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games during the first round.
Boasting a “Big Three” of five-time All-NBA First Teamer Doncic, the elder James, and shooting guard Austin Reaves, the Lakers need shooting and defense out of their supporting cast.
For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Lakers, visit Los Angeles Lakers on SI.
