Lakers Waive Dalton Knecht to Comply With Roster Rules

The Los Angeles Lakers have waived Dalton Knecht, bringing their roster into compliance with league rules. The move came on Monday, ahead of the 2 p.m. deadline for teams to trim their rosters to 15 standard contracts.

Knecht's departure follows the Lakers' signing of Matisse Thybulle to a veteran's minimum contract in late July, which had put the team over the roster limit. After months of deliberation, the team decided to part ways with the third-year wing, whose role with the team had diminished in recent seasons.

Selected 17th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, Knecht made an impact as a rookie during the 2024-25 season. He entered the rotation from the season's outset and moved into the starting lineup in mid-November due to injuries. During this period, Knecht averaged 18.9 points and 4.9 rebounds in the final nine games of November 2024.

Despite a shooting slump in January and December of that season, Knecht maintained consistent playing time. A strong performance on February 4, 2025, where he scored 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting in a win against the Clippers, seemed to signal a return to form. However, his trajectory shifted thereafter.

Knecht was involved in a trade for Mark Williams that was later rescinded. Following his return to the team, his playing time was not the same. This trend continued into his second season, 2025-26, where he played 553 minutes across 54 regular-season games, a significant decrease from the 1,494 minutes he logged in 78 games as a rookie.

Head coach JJ Redick commented on Knecht's situation, stating, "The team changed. The needs changed, the fit changed. I think he got better as a player over the last two years... coming into this year, we added a lot of wings and he’s in a tough spot right now."

Knecht averaged 2.8 points per game in 11.8 minutes across four of the Lakers' five preseason games leading up to the roster decision.