The Los Angeles Lakers made efforts to upgrade their roster over the summer after the disappointing end to the 2024-25 season. The first-round series against the Timberwolves showed how far the Lakers were from title contention. And while the additions of Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart, and Jake LaRavia should provide the Lakers with much-needed help, the team's obvious weaknesses persist.
One of those glaring weaknesses is the lack of elite shooters. Luka Doncic and LeBron James need as many shooters around them as possible to provide them with a spaced floor. The Lakers have a few solid shooters, but no one who strikes real fear into their opponents.
A big reason why is the disappointing start Dalton Knecht has had in his NBA career so far. When the Lakers drafted him 17th overall last season, they were hoping that the former Tennessee star would play that sharpshooter role. Instead, he was more of an average marksman, hitting 37.6% of his threes and struggling with everything else on the court. After his poor Summer League performance, the time is running out for Knecht to prove himself as a rotation player.
Dalton Knecht Needs to Start Season Strong to Avoid Getting Dumped
The Lakers already tried to trade Knecht once. He was included in the rescinded trade for Mark Williams at last year's trade deadline. If Williams hadn't failed his physical, Knecht would have been in Charlotte right now. This shows the lack of faith the Lakers have in the 24-year-old small forward.
At the same time, shooting is a premium skill. Teams are always looking for shooters who have decent positional size. The Lakers especially need more shooting on the wing as they lack capable perimeter players in general. If Knecht can show more to start the season, he could earn himself a role with the team. If he continues the way he played all summer, shooting 32.1% from the field and 23.7% from downtown, however, he will not have much of a future in Los Angeles.
The Lakers are expected to be active on the trade market once the season starts. They still have some draft capital that they can trade. Attaching a first-round pick next to Knecht and a mid-size contract like Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt, or Maxi Kleber could net them a quality role player. Knecht has an uphill battle to avoid that fate.