Lakers reporter refutes viral ‘report’ that says Dalton Knecht requested a trade from the Lakers
Did former Tennessee Vols standout Dalton Knecht really request a trade from the Lakers?
Multiple social media posts went viral on Wednesday referencing a report stating that former Tennessee Vols standout Dalton Knecht has requested a trade from the Los Angeles Lakers.
The report cited Anthony Irwin of “Join Offside”.
Knecht, who was briefly traded to the Charlotte Hornets a year ago before the deal was rescinded, has played just 17 total minutes over the last four games (including eight minutes on Wednesday night in a road loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers).
Did Dalton Knecht actually request a trade from the Lakers?
There’s no doubt that a trade would be the best thing for Knecht’s NBA career at this point. The former Vol is barely a role player for the Lakers, as his playing time can best be described as inconsistent (just take a look at his game logs, via ESPN).
But did he actually request a trade from the Lakers?
According to Lakers Nation’s Trevor Lane, the host of a popular YouTube Lakers show with over a half million subscribers, the answer is no.
“There is a rumor circulating right now about Dalton,” said Lane. “I did check in on it. The rumor was that Dalton Knecht went to the Lakers and demanded a trade. I’ve been told that that is false and that did not happen. So Dalton Knecht demanding a trade from the Los Angeles Lakers, again, what I’ve been told is that that never happened.”
Despite the rumor being false, according to Lane, there’s still a chance that Knecht gets traded before the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 5.
But Knecht isn’t expected to be a hot commodity on the trade market.
“I think we are at a point where it’s probably time for the Lakers to move on from Dalton Knecht,” said Lane. “And I think that’s honestly going to be best for all parties. The question now becomes: is Dalton an asset on the trade market? And I think that’s highly questionable.
“I think there are a number of teams that are going to look at Dalton and the $4.2 million left on the books for him for next year, and a team option after that, and despite the success that he had last season — we’re now over a year removed from those games back in November (2024), even the March games we’re coming up on a year from those — so I have a hard time seeing teams jumping for joy over the prospect of getting Dalton Knecht.”
Knecht, the 2024 SEC player of the year, is averaging 4.8 points per game this season.