Latest NBA rumor would be a dream come true for former Tennessee Vols basketball star Dalton Knecht

Former Tennessee Vols standout Dalton Knecht had an up-and-down rookie season with the Los Angeles Lakers. 

Knecht had moments where he looked like a future superstar (multiple games with 30 plus points), he was nearly traded to the Charlotte Hornets, and he played just four minutes in the Lakers' playoff series loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves (despite his head coach, JJ Redick, telling reporters before the NBA playoffs that Knecht would be an important post-season player for Los Angeles). 

That's about as eventful as it gets for a rookie. 

Knecht, ultimately, just wants to play basketball. He's not interested in the drama of the NBA, he just wants a chance to get on the court and play his game. 

That's why he should be smiling after hearing the latest prediction from prominent NBA voice Bill Simmons. 

Simmons predicted this week that Lakers guard Austin Reaves will get traded this offseason. 

"When Reaves gets traded this summer, and he will get traded, the stuff they [Lakers] get back for him is gonna make it seem worse that they [Mavericks] didn't get him in the trade," said Simmons. 

If Reaves gets shipped out of Los Angeles, it will open up some significant playing time for Knecht. The former Vol was buried on the bench at times because there was no way he was going to play ahead of Reaves. But with Reaves out of the picture, Knecht would suddenly be thrust into a key role for the Lakers with consistent playing time. 

The only reason Knecht didn't have a more productive rookie season is because he didn't receive consistent opportunities. He was simply the victim of essentially being a luxury player for the Lakers last season.