Lakers exploring Dalton Knecht trade after Deandre Ayton deal, per report

Dalton Knecht’s future with the Los Angeles Lakers looks bleaker than ever, which, oddly enough, isn’t a negative. 

The Tennessee product hasn’t previously expressed his frustration with his role with the franchise via a midseason trade request. The sooner Knecht can move on from the Lakers and continue his NBA journey elsewhere, the better.

According to NBA reporter Evan Sidery, the Lakers are doing their due diligence to help Knecht get the fresh start he’s looking for following their Deandre Ayton trade on Friday (Los Angeles traded Ayton to the Washington Wizards for Jaden Hardy and two second-round picks).

“The Lakers are actively shopping Dalton Knecht and Jarred Vanderbilt in trade talks,” Sidery wrote on X/Twitter. “After gaining two second-round picks in the Deandre Ayton trade, Los Angeles could consolidate those assets in a deal immediately for a starting-caliber wing.”

Although it’s unclear who’s on the opposite end of the Lakers’ recent Knecht-centered trade talks, there’s no doubt that Los Angeles is putting their best foot forward to find a wing that would play high-level basketball alongside Luka Doncic. 

So far, the Lakers have done a solid job of strengthening their roster following the departures of LeBron James, Jaxson Hayes, Luke Kennard, and Marcus Smart (they added Collin Sexton, Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili, and Walker Kessler). 

That said, a dynamic two-way wing would be the icing on the cake for a Lakers franchise hoping to rebound from the 2025-26 second-round playoff exit quickly.

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