According to a report by Forbes sports reporter Evan Sidley on Saturday, the Los Angeles Lakers have put Dalton Kneckert back on the trading block. They plan to trade Kneckert before the trade deadline in order to upgrade and strengthen their current roster.

The 24-year-old Kneckert is a 6'6" (1.98m) and 98kg (4.98kg) forward who was selected 17th overall in the first round of the 2024 NBA draft by the Lakers. ESPN data shows that last season, as a rookie, he played 98 regular season games, averaging 8.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 18.3 minutes per game, with a 46.3% field goal percentage and a 37.4% three-point percentage.

Despite decent rookie season stats, Knecker's defensive weaknesses and speed issues diminished and limited his role in the Lakers' system. As the regular season progressed, he completely fell out of head coach JJ Redick's rotation.

In February of this year, the Lakers even attempted to use Kennecket as part of a trade package to acquire center Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets. The trade ultimately fell through because Williams failed his physical, and Kennecket remained with the Lakers as a result.

With Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reeves forming the core of their roster, the Lakers desperately need role players to demonstrate consistent shooting efficiency and defensive intensity. However, Knecker currently appears to be failing to meet the Lakers' needs.

Nevertheless, the Lakers exercised the team option for the 2026/27 season on Kneckert's rookie contract this October. This move is widely seen as primarily aimed at maintaining flexibility in the trade market for his rookie contract, rather than truly valuing Kneckert's tactical worth.

The Lakers' actual usage of Knecker this season also confirms this assessment to some extent: Under JJ Redick's coaching, Knecker played a total of 20 regular season games this season, starting only once. He averaged 15.1 minutes per game, scoring 6.4 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 0.6 assists.