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Lakers release former first-round pick Dalton Knecht

By Thomson Reuters Oct 19, 2026 | 6:40 PM

By Field Level Media

Oct 19 (Field Level Media) – The Los Angeles Lakers waived former first-round pick ​Dalton Knecht on Monday to ‌reach the NBA roster limit of 15 players ahead of the 5 p.m. ET deadline.

Knecht, a forward, averaged 4.2 points and ‌1.4 ​rebounds in 10.2 ⁠minutes across 54 games (one ⁠start) last season.

The previous season, Knecht averaged 9.1 points and 2.8 rebounds in 78 games (16 starts) as ​a rookie and looked like a promising rotation player.

During the 2026 ⁠preseason, Knecht averaged 2.8 ⁠points and shot 25% (3 ​of 12) from the field. The 25-year-old ​scored 11 points in 22 minutes ‌against the Golden State Warriors on Oct. 6 and was scoreless in each of his other three ⁠appearances.

The 6-foot-6 Knecht was the 17th overall selection of the 2024 NBA Draft after being ⁠the ‌Southeastern Conference Player of ⁠the Year and a consensus ​first- ‌team All-American at Tennessee. That ​was his ⁠lone season with the Volunteers. He spent the previous two seasons at Northern Colorado after playing two seasons at Northeastern Junior College in Colorado.

(–Field ​Level Media)