Lakers' Second-Year Guard Viewed as 'Negative Trade Asset' Around NBA: Report

Due to this, Los Angeles elected to make some major additions to their roster this offseason as they signed Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia and Marcus Smart in free agency to fill some noticeable holes in their roster.

By making these moves, the Lakers are looking to clinch a top seed in the West once again this season as they try to make another run at a championship.

While the Lakers are looking to make a title run this season behind James and Doncic, they may also elect to make moves ahead of the trade deadline to upgrade their roster.

Dalton Knecht Could Be Used to Land Lakers Another Key Player

If that is the case, Dalton Knecht could be used in a potential trade to land the Lakers another key player to bolster their roster.

For Knecht, he was once viewed as one of Los Angeles’ key trade assets, and he was even traded to the Charlotte Hornets last season for Mark Williams before the trade fell through due to Williams failing his physical.

Dalton Knecht Viewed as 'Negative Asset'

Despite this, the NBA’s view on Knecht has reportedly changed this offseason, primarily after his struggles in their first preseason game where he made only one of his 12 field goal attempts.

According to The Athletic’s Dan Woike, Knecht is now viewed as a negative assets around the NBA and the Lakers will likely need to attach another asset to move him if they choose to do so this season.

“The Lakers didn’t move Knecht this summer, with anything the team possibly able to get for Knecht not worth giving up on the potential that’s still there. But after a rough preseason debut where he shot 1 of 12, scouts left Palm Desert as pessimistic as ever, one even calling Knecht a ‘negative asset,’ meaning the Lakers would need to attach pieces to incentivize a team in a trade,” Woike wrote.

This is a massive report by Woike and one that the Lakers likely do not want to hear as the young guard was likely one of their top trade pieces for them to land another key player this season.

For Knecht, he was the 17th pick in the 2024 draft by the Lakers after he surprisingly fell in the draft.

During his rookie season, the 24-year-old guard averaged 9.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game while shooting 46.1% from the field and 37.6% from three.

Of course, Knecht struggled in the second half of last season after the trade that sent him to Charlotte fell through and with his struggles to begin the preseason, his trade value has now taken a massive hit according to Woike’s report.

Despite this, the young guard still has a ton of potential and if he can have a strong start to the season, his trade value could return to where it was last season which could allow the Lakers to move him for another key player if they choose to do so.