Dalton Knecht’s life as a Laker has been tumultuous lately. The Summer League was pretty much enough to show where he stands before the public’s eyes. An average overall performance, and his value trickled down the grid like some tumbling toy. Sure thing, Rob Pelinka won’t trade away the 17th pick of the 2024 NBA Draft. That 4-year $18.48 million contract is saving his tenure to some extent, but the question is: are all the threatening factors gone?

No. There aren’t any other ways to address the situation within the LA Lakers squad. Many fans would say Knecht has lost his face value on the roster, and well, that might be true to some extent. Moreover, Lakers insider Jovan Buha is considering their rookie, Adou Thiero, as the next “dawg.”

In the latest edition of his YouTube stream, one of the viewers stated, “I hope Thiero really turns out to be a dawg.” Well, this seems like a legitimate hope. Given how Rob Pelinka’s 36th pick of the season comes off an interesting season of college basketball. Thiero set Fayetteville on basketball fire with 15.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game.

Meanwhile, Jovan Buha shared his opinion on the same. He said, “That would be, honestly, a game-changer for the Lakers this year. I think he’s going to be a dawg at some point. But typically, it takes guys until the second year or third year to really contribute if you’re not a first-round lottery pick or something, right? Sometimes guys will pop, but if the Lakers somehow get Thiero to pop and he turns into a rotation player with the athleticism and physicality he has, he’s the exact type of guy they need.”

Adou Thiero might be the kind of rookie who makes gravity nervous. With a 7-foot wingspan and an 8-foot 8.5 standing reach, he already looks built for takeover moments. Back in 2022, he soared 41 inches, yet training with the NHL’s Jason Jerome now has him chasing 46. Explosive in transition, deadly in halfcourt, he brings the exact speed and bounce the Lakers dream about. Luka Doncic will probably call dibs.

Now, shifting back the focus to Dalton Knecht, he averaged 9.1 ppg, 2.8 reb, and 0.8 ast in the 2024-25 season. But come Summer League and his performance crumbled. He averaged 11.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal per game on a frosty 29 percent from the floor. And so, many believe that the 24-year-old will have less leverage than the rookie. Besides, JJ Redick has more things to worry about ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season.

Amidst Dalton Knecht troubles, JJ Redick has new challenges to deal with

Well, the Los Angeles Lakers are playing the opening game of the season against the Golden State Warriors. The Dubs have the biggest weapon, loaded and ready for action. Yes, he’s Stephen Curry, but that’s not the ammo. It’s the team’s shooting abilities, precisely the sharpshooters, who make life miserable for the opponent. Keeping this in mind, the LA Lakers lack the same. Players are more of the layup kind, more dogfights in the paint. However, in such a trouble, JJ Redick has Dalton Knecht over Adou Thiero. And here’s why:

“I think some people have overlooked some of his limitations a bit. But I still think Dalton, especially with the shooting—like going through the rotation exercise with Crangis—one of the big conclusions we came to was there’s just not a lot of shooting in the rotation outside of the main guys,” Jovan Buha mentioned.

Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, LeBron James, and Rui Hachimura carry the Lakers’ shooting badge. Luka hits tough shots with ease, LeBron has hovered between 37 and 40 percent in recent years, Austin lives in the mid-30s and up, and Rui fires at about 40 since joining LA. The problem starts after them. Deandre Ayton, Jaxson Hayes, Vando, and Gabe Vincent offer zero spacing. Maxi Kleber’s aim has faded. Marcus Smart has had only one season in eleven above average from deep.

That shortage of reliable snipers leaves LA in a tight spot. Most sharpshooters will have the ball, so spacing gets tricky. When Luka runs the offense, LeBron and Austin move off the ball. Flip the script, and Luka becomes a spot-up guy. Bench units with these shifts could feel cramped. The Lakers’ puzzle is finding the right shooting support to keep their stars breathing room.

Therefore, Dalton still holds the slight edge. The Lakers crave defense, but they also need a shooter who can space the floor and catch fire. If Theo speeds up his progress, he could grab a Jordan Goodwin-type role. Different skills, same potential impact. The race feels close, and the camp will decide. “You could argue they need shooting offensively and certainly defensive athleticism defensively. But between the two, I think Dalton’s probably closer to being a full-time rotation guy. Who knows? That’s what training camp and the preseason are for. I think we’ll have a better sense then,” Buha concluded.

Thus, the training camp could be where this rivalry explodes. Thiero has the wingspan, bounce, and spark to shake up rotations, while Knecht still owns the Lakers’ precious shooting card. One offers raw athletic chaos, the other floor-spacing sanity. JJ Redick’s choice could shape more than opening night. It might define the season’s heartbeat.