Dalton Knecht handled his voided trade like a pro: “Let’s just go play basketball”
By Matt Reed

It's hard to believe Dalton Knecht is only a rookie because the way he's handled his awkward situation with the Los Angeles Lakers would have many believe that's been in the NBA much longer than half a season.
Knecht's trade to the Charlotte Hornets was rescinded after Mark Williams' physical didn't go through, leaving the rookie Lakers forward in a spot where he had to return to the team. Instead of making a big deal about it though, Knecht has a simple message about his path forward.
"I just wanted to hoop," Knecht said after returning to action Wednesday night against the Utah Jazz.
Dalton Knecht:
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) February 13, 2025
“It was a crazy time… at the end of the day, I just wanted to hoop. I wanted to play but I got in late and at the end of the day they said Wednesday was my return so I was excited to come back here and play with my guys” 💜💛
pic.twitter.com/DxYCHyUcXA
After taking some time to process everything that transpired in the past week, Knecht dropped 10 points in just 17 minutes against Utah last night.
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This season, Knecht has averaged around nine points per game in his debut season, and while he hasn't made a massive impact just yet for Los Angeles the Lakers will need him to be big for the remainder of the season as a valuable member of their supporting cast alongside LeBron James and Luka Doncic.
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