Lakers Announce Dalton Knecht Update After Leaving Summer League Game

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | Last updated Jul 10, 2025 11:28 PM ET

Los Angeles Lakers guard Dalton Knecht is playing in NBA Summer League action ahead of his second professional campaign. Despite appearing in 78 of LA's 82 games last season, Knecht saw his role fluctuate quite a bit during his rookie year.

Selected No. 17 overall by Los Angeles out of Tennessee, Knecht averaged 9.1 points per game as a rookie. He was nearly traded at the February deadline for Charlotte Hornets big man Mark Williams (now with the Phoenix Suns), but the deal was rescinded after LA saw several issues with the center's physical.

As he prepares for year two, Knecht has had a challenging Summer League.

Struggling with his shot to begin the summer, Knecht has not looked quite as polished as Lakers fans hoped he would be with a full year of experience under his belt. These shooting struggles continued on Thursday against the Dallas Mavericks, as Knecht shot just 6-for-16 from the field.

Leaving the game early with an apparent injury, Knecht looked to be in some real discomfort. He played 26 minutes and was unable to finish what ended up being an 87-85 loss for LA.

After the game, the Lakers announced via Summer League coach Lindsey Harding that Knecht exited with a calf cramp.

Dalton Knecht exited tonight’s game late with a calf cramp, per Lakers summer league coach Lindsey Harding.
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) July 11, 2025

All things considered, this is good news for the Lakers, as it does not seem as if Knecht suffered any type of serious injury. While his performance may be a cause for concern among the fanbase, it could also just be some rust after time off.

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

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