It has been a wild two weeks for Los Angeles Lakers guard Dalton Knecht, who was used as a trade piece to acquire Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams on February 6th. However, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the trade was rescinded two days after Williams failed a physical with the Lakers. As a result, Knecht was sent back to LA, where he is currently trying to get back into the swing of things.
After returning to Los Angeles, Knecht opened up to Lakers head coach JJ Redick. According to The Athletic’s Jovan Buha, Knecht told Redick before LA’s February 10th game that he would “need more time” to process everything that happened. Unsurprisingly, Knecht did not end up playing that Monday night game.
Knecht did play for the Lakers on February 12th. In that 131-119 loss to the Utah Jazz, he scored ten points in 17 minutes while shooting three for seven from the field. After that game, Knecht spoke publicly about the rescinded trade.
“It was a crazy time,” he told the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday night. “Not too many people have done that, come back [after being traded]. But at the end of the day, I just wanted to hoop… It felt like a movie. After that [Clippers] game, I came back the next day and went to go get some shots up in the gym… and Rob [Pelinka] called me up there and told me the news.”
Knecht then elaborated on how he was hurt by the attempted trade.
“It was hard. I got drafted here, so LA means a lot,” he explained. “So, hearing that, and then I go to Charlotte in the morning with one of my guys and get introduced and start meeting all those people and then fly out to Detroit to what was called my ‘debut game,’ to then, now I’m flying back to LA.”
The trade drama between the Hornets and Lakers may not be over yet. According to sources that spoke to Shams Charania, Charlotte has been “in contact with the NBA as they explore options to dispute” the Lakers’ failed physical of Mark Williams. When informed of the potential dispute, Knecht said he was unaware the Hornets were taking action with the league.
“I had no clue, to be honest,” he said when discussing the trade possibly being protested. “I’m just doing what I love to do, going out there and playing. And like I said, whatever happens, happens.”
After returning to LA, Knecht was welcomed back by members of the Lakers organization with open arms.
“Every single one of them came up and pretty much hugged me and said, ‘What’s good?’ They said, ‘Welcome back.’ And then obviously tonight, they said, ‘It’s your debut game again,’ ” Knecht laughed. “So at the end of the day, it’s just a business. I get where Rob and JJ were going. So, at the end of the day, it’s just going out there and doing my job and playing basketball and doing what I love to do.”
Dalton Knecht was drafted with the 17th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. In 49 games, he is averaging 9.4 points and three rebounds per game on 46.4% shooting.
