Former Tennessee Vol Dalton Knecht a big winner in the blockbuster Luke Doncic—Anthony Davis trade
The Dallas Mavericks' decision to trade superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis (with other pieces involved on both ends) is one that's sent a shockwave through the entire sports world, not just the NBA. From NFL stars like Patrick Mahomes, Maxx Crosby, and even Dallas Cowboy Micah Parsons, the shocking move […]
The Dallas Mavericks' decision to trade superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis (with other pieces involved on both ends) is one that's sent a shockwave through the entire sports world, not just the NBA. From NFL stars like Patrick Mahomes, Maxx Crosby, and even Dallas Cowboy Micah Parsons, the shocking move left everyone in disbelief.
However, it might have left someone else in a far different position.
Lakers guard Dalton Knecht was not included as a part of the trade and now stands to potentially benefit in a huge way from Doncic coming on board with the Lake Show.
Doncic, who's been out with a calf injury since December 25, is one of the greatest players in the NBA over the last half decade and arguably the league's top scorer. He won the NBA scoring title in 2024 while leading the Mavericks to the NBA Finals back in June for the first time since 2011. He's been an NBA All-Star and made First-Team All-NBA for the last five years.
With Doncic and LeBron James together, opposing teams will surely have their hands full on the defensive end, which in turn should create added opportunities for Knecht to increase his offensive output. Doncic's innate ability to create for his teammates – he was second in the NBA in assists in 2023-24 with 9.8 per game – should also help free Knecht with opportunities, particularly on the perimeter.
Not to mention the obvious that, with James surely reaching the twilight of his career, Doncic now gives Knecht a superstar running mate to continue on with for years to come.
There's no doubt the Lakers just got much better on the offensive end of the floor with this move – and much more fun to watch – and it could mean more fireworks from the former Tennessee Vols standout for the rest of 2025 and beyond.
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