NBA insider suggests Lakers' Dalton Knecht could be traded; but there may be complications

The Los Angeles Lakers were faced with a situation that not many teams have had to deal with

Last trade deadline Los Angeles attempted to solve their issue at center by trading their 2024 first-round pick, Dalton Knecht, as well as Cam Reddish and a 2031 first-round pick for the Charlotte Hornets ' Mark Williams. 

After a failed physical days after the trade had been announced, the Lakers rescinded it due to Williams' health status, forcing each team to keep their players through the deadline. 

In a hypothetical trade mentioned by Jovan Buha, a senior NBA reporter for the Lakers, he brought up another trade revolving around the 6’6 sharpshooter.

In this deal, Portland Trail Blazers Toumani Camara would be on the move to Los Angeles, for Knecht and a first-round pick.

Camara has shown flashes of excellent defensive potential, being nicknamed “The Box” around the league for his ability to control the offender.

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He is a 25-year-old 6’7 athletic wing with a 7'1 wingspan and a standing reach of 8 feet 11 inches. This past season, he led the NBA in charges drawn with 31, averaging .4 a game. 

Unfortunately for the Lakers, Buha went on to mention that this may be worthwhile for Los Angeles but could ultimately be shot down by Portland.

The Trailblazers are rumored to be looking specifically for two first-round picks in return for Camara, so although Knecht is a talented young player, he could just not be what Portland is looking for.

In his first season, Knecht averaged 9.1 points per game and shot 37.6% from three, while Camara, in just his second season as a 25-year-old, averaged 11.3 points per game and an impressive 1.5 steals per game.

On the other side of the trade, what would make this deal difficult for the Lakers is Camara’s team-friendly, less than $2 million a year contract. 

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