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Former Tennessee Vols star Dalton Knecht isn't getting traded to the Charlotte Hornets after all

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Craig Smith | Last updated Feb 9, 2025 12:08 AM ET

What a week it's been for Dalton Knecht and the Los Angeles Lakers. And it just somehow got even more bizarre.

Originally an ask of the Dallas Mavericks in the mega-trade involving Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis, Lakers GM Rob Pelinka managed to keep his rookie first round pick out of the deal . As it turns out, it seemed he had other plans for Knecht, including him in a trade for Charlotte Hornets big man Mark Williams.

Well, apparently not. According to ESPN senior NBA insider Shams Sharania, the Lakers advised that the trade has been rescinded due to a failed physical by Mark Williams, who was coming to Los Angeles as the centerpiece of the deal for LA.

Lakers say the Mark Williams/Dalton Knecht trade has been rescinded.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 9, 2025

Mark Williams' physical with the Lakers showed multiple issues and the team failed him on the exam, sources tell ESPN. The physical was not failed due to his back, however. https://t.co/lY4XrSIlHf
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 9, 2025

With the trade deadline already passed, the terms of the deal could not be changed. Thus, the deal is off. Mark Williams stays with the Hornets, Knecht with the Lakers, and the draft picks involved - a 2030 pick swap and 2031 unprotected first round pick - remain with the original teams.

It's not every day you see a trade rescinded, and certainly not after the trade deadline. That will make things perhaps a little bit interesting in the respective locker rooms in Charlotte and Los Angeles for Williams and Knecht, if not awkward at first.

For Tennessee fans hoping to see Knecht play closer to home and alongside former UT star Grant Williams (who is out while dealing with an ACL injury) in Charlotte, well, it's time to take a glass half full approach to the situation.

Knecht, instead of heading to a bottom of the league franchise, will stay in the bright lights of Los Angeles, which will mean a lot more time on national TV and thus easier to watch. He will also get to play alongside two of the greatest players in the NBA today in LeBron James and Luke Doncic, which obviously gives him a far greater chance at a championship than he would ever have had in Charlotte.

We'll see if Pelinka and the Lakers have an eye on parting with their 2024 first round pick after this season is over. For now, Knecht has a few more months to try to prove his keep.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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