The Lakers are waiving Dalton Knecht, ending the former first-round pick’s stint with the team after two seasons, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The move will bring Los Angeles to the 15-man standard roster limit. The Lakers entered Monday with 16 players on guaranteed contracts and had been exploring trades before deciding to release the 25-year-old wing.
Hoops Wire previously reported that the Lakers were looking to move Knecht. Subsequent reports linked them to discussions with several teams, including the Bucks, Bulls and Jazz. Instead, the Lakers are moving on without a trade.
Selected No. 17 overall in the 2024 draft, Knecht showed promise early in his rookie season but struggled to maintain a consistent role under coach JJ Redick. He averaged 4.2 points and 1.4 rebounds in 10.2 minutes across 51 appearances last season.
Shooting was expected to be his calling card coming out of Tennessee, but Knecht made just 34.2 percent of his three-point attempts in his second NBA season.
His time with the Lakers also included the aborted February 2025 trade that would have sent him to the Hornets for Mark Williams. Knecht returned to Los Angeles after that deal was rescinded, but never established the role the Lakers envisioned when they drafted him.
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