Former Tennessee Vols Dalton Knecht and Jalin Hyatt have a lot in common.

Both players became fan favorites thanks to a memorable season on Rocky Top (Hyatt in 2022 and Knecht in 2023-24). And both players parlayed a big season at Tennessee into getting drafted.

Hyatt was a third round selection by the New York Giants in 2023 and Knecht was a first round selection by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2024.

Both players got off to quick starts — Hyatt totaled 89 receiving yards in just his second career game, and Knecht scored 37 points against the Utah Jazz just a month into his rookie season.

Unfortunately, both players have been exiled to the bench in the years since. Hyatt has barely been used by the Giants since the start of the 2024 season, and Knecht averaged just 4.2 points per game in his second season after his playing time was slashed in half.

Hyatt and Knecht could both be on new teams sooner rather than later (which would probably be a good thing).

In Knecht’s case, his fate was seemingly sealed on Tuesday night during the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft.

The Lakers have their Dalton Knecht replacement, and he’s a former Vol

The Lakers selected Baylor guard Cameron Carr with the No. 24 overall pick (via the New York Knicks) during the first round of the draft on Tuesday.

Carr spent the first two seasons of his career at Tennessee — he was actually teammates with Knecht in 2023-24 — before abruptly leaving the program during his sophomore season.

The former Vol developed into a first round NBA prospect during his lone season at Baylor, and he’s expected to fill the role that the Lakers initially envisioned for Knecht.

“[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.”

At this point, it’s a matter of when, not if, Knecht is shipped out of Los Angeles.

The Lakers have some decisions to make this offseason, and everyone is waiting to hear what LeBron James does (he’s a free agent), so it may a take a bit for Knecht’s future to get sorted out. But the addition of Carr in Los Angeles almost certainly signals that Knecht won’t be playing for the Lakers this fall.