Dalton Knecht demands trade from the Lakers. What went wrong along the way?

RC Nazemi

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Dalton Knecht demands trade from the Lakers. What went wrong along the way? image

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

In 2024, the Los Angeles Lakers selected what many considered to be the steal of the draft by taking Dalton Knecht with the 17th overall pick. 

After his success at Tennessee, many had him pegged as a top-10 pick, but due to what many hypothesized, his full four years in college, he fell to the Lakers. 

Trade season is gearing up, and after last year's incident, I'm sure Knecht is approaching this trade deadline on his toes. 

With many wondering what the Los Angeles Lakers are planning to do at the deadline, Dalton Knecht has apparently made one piece of that puzzle abundantly clear for the organization. The question is, what went wrong along the way?

MORE: Report: Lakers' Dalton Knecht still a trade target looking for fresh start

Dalton Knecht reportedly demanded a trade from Los Angeles

It was reported by a Lakers insider, Anthony Irwin, that second-year wing Dalton Knecht officially demanded a trade from the Lakers. 

What started as a seemingly great relationship has officially soured, which begs the question: What happened? 

In his rookie season, it seemed as though Dalton Knecht could be a perfect piece for this Lakers team. He struggled with consistency as many rookies do, but when he popped, he really popped. 

Knecht finished off the preseason with a 35-point outing in Phoenix, and in the month of November, he showed what he was really capable of. 

He put up an incredible 37-point performance against the Utah Jazz, 27 against New Orleans, and finished the month with back-to-back 20-point games against San Antonio and Oklahoma City. 

His defense was never at any point stellar and was frankly a net negative for the team, but with his ability to become a flamethrower on offense, nobody really minded. 

Then came the 2024-25 NBA trade deadline fiasco. 

The Lakers had a finalized deal in the works that involved Dalton Knecht being sent to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for center Mark Williams. Just a few days later, the trade was rescinded, leaving Dalton Knecht in a strange place. 

He was never quite the same after that point. From then on, Knecht seemed mentally disengaged, almost as if he didn't want to be there. Tough for a rookie to go through, but this league is a business. 

Since then, Knecht has underperformed in the last NBA Summer League in Vegas, not shown any concrete evidence of growth, and has reportedly become a net negative asset for Los Angeles. 

Quite a fall from a young fan favorite. A demand is one thing, but it'll be interesting to see what exactly the market is for him. 

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