Dalton Knecht’s name has already started to surface in speculative trade chatter as the Lakers explore roster moves ahead of training camp. There was league talk in Las Vegas suggesting the Lakers were willing to include Knecht, Rui Hachimura, and a first-round pick in a potential deal — one scenario reportedly linked to Andrew Wiggins. While nothing concrete materialized, the rumor itself highlighted a growing league perception: Knecht, once considered a high-value rookie asset, may already be slipping in trade appeal. 

Dalton Knecht’s ongoing Summer League slump comes amid rising concerns over his role and long-term standing with the Lakers. After being drafted 17th overall in 2024, he put together a respectable rookie season—averaging nine points and shooting efficiently from deep—but his momentum stalled after a failed trade to the Charlotte Hornets at the deadline. The collapse of that deal appears to have had lingering effects, both in terms of his confidence and how the team perceives him. Since then, his involvement has dipped, most notably during the postseason when he logged just five total minutes across two appearances.

This downward trend has only grown more visible in the Summer League. Knecht has struggled to find rhythm offensively, going 0-for-9 from three across his first two games. Monday’s outing against the Clippers saw him shoot just 3-of-15 from the field in 28 minutes—a continuation of the inefficiency that has plagued him throughout the event. The opportunity to reassert himself in JJ Redick’s rotation is slipping, and the Lakers’ front office may already be evaluating whether he fits into their future plans. That brings us to Jovan Buha’s assessment of where things stand now.

Jovan Buha dropped the big one first: “I was talking to people in Vegas who were like, ‘I don’t think he’s worth a first-round pick anymore.’” From a hot-shot lottery pick to “maybe we’ll throw him in with the expiring contracts and a coupon book” — that’s the kind of fall-off Dalton Knecht is experiencing. And this isn’t just salty front-office gossip or clickbait chatter. As Buha clarified, “People I was talking to in Vegas were like, ‘We don’t consider him that.’ And this is people outside of the Lakers, who are more objective.”

In other words, it’s third-party, unbiased observers looking at Knecht and seeing… a guy struggling to crack the rotation behind Gabe Vincent and Jordan Goodwin. And yes, this is the same Knecht the Lakers once tried to trade for Mark Williams before that deal imploded worse than the 2012 Brooklyn Nets superteam.

But hold up — it’s not all doom and gloom. Jovan tossed in a little silver lining like the friend who brings cupcakes after telling you bad news. “I was talking to someone on the coaching staff in Vegas… they did note this is not the role the Lakers envision for him… being a primary ball handler and initiator.”

Translation: The Lakers didn’t draft Dalton Knecht, thinking he’d turn into a budget Devin Booker. They want him spotting up, hitting catch-and-shoot threes, and running the floor, not trying to play point guard like a Walmart Luka Doncic.

The catch-and-shoot conundrum: Flashes of promise amid the slump

And to be fair, Knecht has shown flashes in those exact situations. “The best stretches of him offensively have been in transition… or some of the catch-and-shoot… especially in the corners,” Jovan added. So if you’re a Lakers fan looking for optimism, maybe cling to that like the franchise clung to Austin Reaves trade rumors all summer. But Jovan wasn’t done with the honesty hour yet. “I almost have viewed him more as a scorer than a shooter… he can go through stretches where he’s a 1% shooter, but I don’t think he’s consistently a 1% shooter.”

Basically, there are moments when Knecht looks like he’s auditioning for Shaqtin’ A Fool: Summer League Edition. You know it’s bad when NBA Twitter starts calling your percentages “G-League worthy.”

And that was before his 3-of-15 shooting disaster class against the Clippers — a game where even the scoreboard seemed embarrassed. Meanwhile, Cole Swider — the other forward — casually dropped 16 points and outshone Knecht like a Vegas neon sign. The bigger concern? The Lakers already tried to move him once, and teams weren’t exactly lining up. According to Jovan, “If he’s trying to lower his trade value, I guess he’s doing it.”

Now, with the Lakers sitting at 1-2 in Summer League and the Celtics showdown looming, it feels like Knecht’s future in L.A. is on a tighter deadline than JJ Redick’s next podcast episode. If the Lakers don’t deal him soon, his value might hit the NBA clearance rack faster than you can say Talen Horton-Tucker.