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Dalton Knecht Sends LeBron James Message After 'Retirement' Post

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ayomide Adeduyite | Last updated Jun 15, 2025 1:56 PM ET

Dalton Knecht’s rookie season began with high hopes after the Los Angeles Lakers selected him 17th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft. He arrived with a résumé highlighted by SEC Player of the Year honors at Tennessee and flashed scoring potential early on—most notably in a 37-point game against the Utah Jazz in November—including nine threes in that outing.

Overall, Knecht averaged 9.1 points in 19.2 minutes per game, while shooting 37.6% from beyond the arc. However, as the season progressed under coach JJ Redick, Knecht saw his minutes diminish, often relegated to mop-up duty despite his promising offensive flashes.

Trade rumors swirled around Knecht midseason. He was nearly involved in a deal to the Charlotte Hornets for rookie center Mark Williams, alongside Cam Reddish and a 2031 first-round pick, though the trade fell through due to Williams failing a physical.

That near-move reinforced narratives that Knecht is viewed as a movable asset—young, promising, but potentially expendable in pursuit of immediate roster upgrades. Amid this, TMZ Sports caught up with Knecht at LAX.

When asked about LeBron James, who teased retirement with an advertisement post on Saturday, Knecht said, "He said he can play another five, 10 years. Me and ‘Bron could run it for another five, 10 years. Why not?”

Dalton Knecht said that LeBron thinks he’s got 5-10 years left in him

( via @TMZ_Sports) pic.twitter.com/bBAMq28wWY
— LakersMuse (@LALMuse) June 15, 2025

While it might be outrageous to think that James, 40, would play for another five years, Knecht, 23, still has a lot of years ahead of him and could potentially be of service to the Lakers, should they decide not to trade him.

Nevertheless, it remains to be seen if the Lakers will keep him. Standing at 6-foot-6, he offers assets that can appeal to teams seeking youth and shooting, although concerns about his defensive fit and limited minutes might raise questions.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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