Mar 19, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Denver Los Angeles Lakers guard Dalton Knecht (4) reaches for a rebound in the second half against the Denver Nuggets at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Dalton Knecht should be on the Hornets' radar this offseason

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Zach Roberts | Last updated Apr 7, 2025 12:00 PM ET

At the NBA Trade Deadline, two things were made clear. First, the Los Angeles Lakers were willing to move off of 2024 first-round pick Dalton Knecht. Second, the Charlotte Hornets wanted to add Knecht to their roster. Those two things should still be true after what transpired, and this summer, the Hornets should have Knecht on their radar once again.

Charlotte has now had two chances to get Knecht. They strongly considered him in the NBA Draft before selecting Tidjane Salaun, and they then tried and nearly succeeded in trading for him. They clearly like Knecht, but they've missed the chances to get him.

Knecht's stat line isn't overwhelmingly impressive. 9.0 points on 46.2% shooting with 2.8 rebounds and 0.9 assists is decent enough for a rookie, but he's doing it on less than 20 minutes per game because the Lakers are pretty loaded at his positions.

If he were to play on the Hornets, he'd be starting right now and might've been for most of the season. His per 36 metrics are much better: 16.8 points, 1.7 assists, 0.6 steals, and 5.1 rebounds. Minutes aside, he's also shooting 37.2% from three, something Charlotte likes and could use.

The jury remains out on Mark Williams as far as his Charlotte future goes. The expectation is that he will once again be shopped after the failed Lakers trade. He and others might go this offseason. If he doesn't, though, it's really easy to get excited about a core lineup of LaMelo Ball, Knecht, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges, and Williams.

All except Bridges are 23 or younger, so the timeline would take a nice shape. Plus, they'd have Cooper Flagg, VJ Edgecombe, Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper, or another top-five or so prospect to either take Bridges' spot or come off the bench. The 2025 draft is loaded with talent that is also very young.

There are young players available out there, but none that fit as well and are theoretically available like Knecht. The Hornets like him, and the Lakers showed a willingness to move on from him. It would behoove the front office to try again and see if they can't make the Lakers stick to their agreed-upon deal this time.