New report confirms suspicion about former Tennessee Vols guard Dalton Knecht and his NBA future
Former Tennessee Volunteers guard Dalton Kneht has spent the first two seasons of his NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers.
When the Los Angeles Lakers selected former Tennessee/Baylor guard Cameron Carr in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft, many folks assumed it meant that Dalton Knecht’s time in LA is coming to an end.
Knecht saw his playing time with the Lakers get slashed in half last season. Considering how uninterested the Lakers are in playing Knecht, it’s reasonable to assume that Los Angeles will attempt to move on from the former Vol after drafting Carr, who offers a similar skillset.
“[I] like his fit in L.A. as an athletic shot-maker who can do more than just make jump shots,” noted The Athletic’s John Hollinger after the Lakers drafted Carr. “I think Carr has a chance to be the player the Lakers thought they were getting when they picked Dalton Knecht. The Lakers paid to trade up and make sure they got their guy.”
A report from NBA insider Evan Sidery this week seems to confirm that Knecht is on his way out of Los Angeles this summer.
Sidery reported that the Lakers are “actively shopping Dalton Knecht and Jarred Vanderbilt in trade talks.”
The Lakers tried to trade Knecht to the Charlotte Hornets during his rookie season, but the deal was rescinded.
Getting traded from the Lakers is the best thing that could happen to Knecht. Lakers head coach JJ Redick clearly isn’t a fan of Knecht for whatever reason. A fresh start with a team that actually values Knecht’s talent could be all the former Vol needs to finally thrive in the NBA.