Knecht comes back east.
Dalton Knecht won’t be sticking around in Los Angeles after all. The Lakers shipped the rookie guard back east to Charlotte in a package that landed them young center Mark Williams. The Lakers needed an answer in the post after trading Anthony Davis away for Luka Doncic, and that answer comes at the cost of Knecht.
Just In: The Los Angeles Lakers are trading Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, a 2031 unprotected first-round pick and a 2030 pick swap to the Charlotte Hornets for center Mark Williams, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/QGUwETssGd
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 6, 2025
Williams has emerged as a big contributor in the league in his third season. The 7-2, 240 pound center avergaes 15.9 points per game while pulling down 9.6 rebounds per game. The former Duke Blue Devil was the 15th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Knecht is averaging 9.4 points per game in his rookie season. He played 20 minutes per game for the Lakers, shooting just over 35 percent from three-point range. In terms of minutes and volume, Knecht on the move seems like a win.
He now heads to the Hornets, where he will join former Tennessee great Grant Williams. The Hornets have a nice young core with LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller and now Knecht. Miller is sidelined for the rest of the season, so Knecht should have a clear path to big minutes down the stretch of a dreadful 2024-25 season for Charlotte.