Mar 6, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Dalton Knecht (4) reacts after scoring a three point basket against the New York Knicks during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
The Los Angeles Lakers knew they would have to make a roster decision before the regular season began. After making numerous moves over the summer, the team found itself one player over the roster limit, meaning someone would have to be let go.
Dalton Knecht appeared to be the most likely candidate if the Lakers reached that point. Before making a final decision, LA explored trade options to trim the roster.
“My understanding is a consolidation trade. Obviously, it would be two-for-one, three-for-one, or three-for-two is a little more complicated," Lakers insider Jovan Buha said. "So I think the most straightforward one would be two-for-one…And depending on the configuration of the trade, it could be a version of two of the back-end guys, let's say Dalton Knecht and Jaden Hardy, for a backup center."
Just before the deadline to make roster cuts, the Lakers entered trade discussions with the Milwaukee Bucks about a potential deal involving center Jericho Sims.
“League sources say that the Lakers and Bucks have held exploratory trade discussions on a framework that would ship former first-round selection Dalton Knecht to Milwaukee (along with second-round draft capital) in exchange for big man Jericho Sims," NBA insider Jake Fischer wrote on the Stein Line.
The Lakers ultimately did not complete the deal, with the draft compensation reportedly becoming a sticking point.
“The Bucks had briefly talked through what Los Angeles would want but were unwilling to trade center Jericho Sims straight up for Knecht and wanted multiple second-round picks or a pick swap. This was a price the Lakers were unwilling to meet. Maybe going across the country and being back on the East Coast will be beneficial for Knecht to reinvent himself,” NBA insider Brett Siegel wrote.
Ultimately, letting go of Knecht and absorbing the financial cost may have been the better option for Los Angeles. The Lakers have limited draft capital, and including multiple second-round picks or a pick swap in the deal would have further depleted their assets. Given Knecht's uncertain trade value, the Lakers may not have viewed the additional cost as worthwhile.
Things had not been the same between Los Angeles and Knecht since the failed trade during his rookie season. In the end, the Lakers chose not to complete a deal that could have addressed their need for a backup center because they were unwilling to meet Milwaukee's reported asking price.
