Marc Stein reinforced that notion, indicating Sims is perhaps not the Lakers’ lone target as they seek front-court help and look to trim the roster from 16 players down to 15.
“The Lakers spent the weekend trying to find a workable trade to ship out Dalton Knecht and maybe even bring back a big man — such as Milwaukee’s Jericho Sims as Jake revealed in his Thursday piece — to shave their roster from 16 guaranteed contracts to 15,” Stein wrote. “If no trade can be found, they’ll have to waive Knecht (or someone else) by the cut-down buzzer.”
After delighting early in his rookie season, including a 37-point outburst against the Utah Jazz, and even starting a handful of games, Knecht saw his playing time dwindle as he ultimately fell out of the 2024-25 playoff rotation. Last season, he received another crack at rotation minutes but struggled mightily and became a non-factor by year’s end, logging just 107 minutes from February onward, including the playoffs.
Knecht’s primary allure out of college was his jumper but he’s been merely a good outside shooter in the NBA, converting 36.8% of his 3s through two seasons. His lack of strength and lateral mobility severely hinders his defense while he’s not a threat as a passer or off-the-dribble scorer. His rigid offensive skill-set and detrimental defense have understandably prevented him from carving out a consistent role with the Lakers. He’d have to be a truly elite shooter to mitigate his shortcomings elsewhere and that’s not been the case.
Knecht was not a second-round flier or late-first gamble. He was selected 17th overall in 2024. Him not panning out is a sharp indictment of the Lakers’ front office. Knecht joined Jalen Hood-Schifino as one of Los Angeles’s two top-20 selections since 2020 and neither has established themselves as legitimate contributors during their rookie contracts. Both picks represent team-building failures and reasons the Lakers haven’t been actual title contenders over that span.
