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The longer Dalton Knecht is on the Los Angeles Lakers’ roster, the worse off the franchise will be.
The former No. 17 overall pick could eventually transform into a well-rounded NBA wing. Still, there’s no question Knecht should continue his development elsewhere after two disappointing seasons with the Lakers (Los Angeles reportedly wants to cut ties with the Tennessee product.
On Wednesday night, the Lakers, who made a last-second trade with the New York Knicks to acquire the No. 24 overall pick in the NBA Draft, selected a former Baylor standout guard who has all the tools to replace Knecht in Los Angeles.
Specifically, the Lakers drafted Cameron Carr, who’s already been viewed as one of the biggest steals of the draft thus far. According to The Stein Line’s Marc Stein, the Lakers’ draft night trade with the Knicks is now expanding to a four-team deal involving the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns.
“I'm told that the many moving parts that landed Cam Carr with the Lakers at No. 24, Sergio De Larrea with the Mavericks at No. 25, Koa Peat with the Suns at No. 30, and netted the Knicks five second-round picks is tracking to take the form of a four-team TRADE once made official,” Stein wrote on X/Twitter Thursday.
Shortly after the tweet, Stein shared a screenshot of a press release that essentially confirmed the notable NBA insider’s report.
“The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have acquired the draft rights to the 2026 25th overall pick Sergio De Larrea from the Los Angeles Lakers as part of a four-team trade also involving the New York Knicks and Phoenix Suns,” the press release stated.
“As part of the deal, Dallas sent draft rights to the 2026 30th overall selection Koa Peat to Phoenix, and the draft rights to Melvin Ajinca (51st overall pick in 2024) and two second-round picks to New York.”
Considering that Carr is everything Knecht isn’t as a player (better off-ball cutter, off the dribble shot maker, rebounder, defender, vertical athlete, and spot-up shooter), the Lakers should be thrilled that he was somehow still available late in the first round of the draft.
Baylor struggled mightily this season after reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2024-25 (they finished with a mediocre 17-16 record and were eliminated by Oklahoma in the semifinal round of the College Basketball Crown Tournament.
However, Carr was a noticeable bright spot for the storied Big 12 program, averaging 18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game, shooting 49.4% from the field and 37.4% from three while solidifying himself as a legitimate NBA prospect.
If the third-team All-Big 12 contributor lives up to expectations, Knecht will become an afterthought in Los Angeles.
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