A new trade proposal from ESPN has the Los Angeles Lakers finally trading former Tennessee Vols guard Dalton Knecht this offseason.

The proposal has the Lakers trading Knecht, Jarred Vanderbilt, and a first-round pick to the Dallas Mavericks for Daniel Gafford.

At this point, playing for any team other than the Lakers would be a huge plus for Knecht’s career.

The Lakers have badly misused Dalton Knecht

The former Vol has been incredibly misused during his time with the Lakers. Knecht has seen uneven playing time, he’s been shuttled to the G-League, and then called up just to sit on the bench.

Knecht proved as a rookie that he can be an effective scorer in the NBA. The Colorado native famously scored 37 points just a month into his pro career in 2024.

But for whatever reason, the Lakers have made the decision to treat Knecht like a journeyman role player instead of someone they need to develop.

Knecht averaged 4.2 points while playing 10.2 minutes per game this past season. That’s down from 9.1 points and 19.2 minutes per game during Knecht’s rookie season.

It’s impossible as a young player to find any sort of rhythm while barely playing. I’m not saying the Lakers should’ve been featuring Knecht over the last two seasons, but they could’ve found a consistent role for him off the bench, and he undoubtedly would’ve been able to help the team.

But that’s clearly not going to happen for Knecht in LA. The Lakers have telegraphed exactly how they feel about the former Vol. That’s why the best thing that can happen this offseason for Knecht is that he’s traded. It doesn’t even matter where he lands, just as long as it’s a team other than the Lakers.