Rookie guard Dalton Knecht is back on the Los Angeles Lakers after the trade that briefly sent him to the Charlotte Hornets was rescinded. After the team’s loss to the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night, Knecht spoke to reporters for the first time since the whirlwind week started and said that the entire experience was a “crazy time” and “felt like a movie.”
Knecht, the No. 17 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, was initially traded to the Hornets on Feb. 5 along with Cam Reddish, a 2030 pick swap and the Lakers’ 2031 first-round pick in exchange for Hornets big man Mark Williams.
The very next day, Knecht was on a plane to Charlotte to meet with his new coaches and teammates. He then accompanied the Hornets to Detroit ahead of their game against the Pistons on Feb. 9, when he expected to make his debut in teal and purple. Instead, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka called and told him the deal was off after Williams failed his physical. Knecht then had to jump on another flight back to Los Angeles, where he rejoined the Lakers.
Lakers rescind trade for Mark Williams due to multiple issues with Hornets big man’s physical, per report
Jasmyn Wimbish
“Rob called me and said, ‘You’re coming back,'” Knecht said. “I was just excited to go out there and hoop, no matter where I was going. I just want to go hoop. I told that to [Lakers coach] JJ [Redick] and Rob. I get it’s a business, so at the end of the day, I told them, ‘Let’s just go play basketball.'”
Knecht was in street clothes for the Lakers’ win over the Jazz on Monday, but was back in action on Wednesday when the two teams met again in Salt Lake City. He came off the bench to make three 3-pointers and score 10 points in 17 minutes.
“I thought his spirit was good,” Redick said. “He played well. We’re not going to talk about it anymore. We’ve talked about it. He’s in a good spot. We’re good.”
The Hornets have contacted the NBA to explore their options in this unique situation. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, they hope to dispute the Lakers’ decision to fail Williams on his physical. However, the chances of the Hornets winning that challenge and the trade going through are very slim.
“The Lakers are not concerned about this situation,” beat reporter Jovan Buha said on “The Athletic NBA Daily” podcast. “As long as they can prove why they rescinded the trade and why they feel the way they do about his medical, they basically have a 99% chance of the trade being rescinded… Could there be a penalty, like they get fined or lose a 2nd round pick. Maybe, I don’t know. They’re pretty confident about what they found being troubling.”
Knecht, for his part, said he hopes to remain in Los Angeles and will control what he can control. “Whatever happens, happens,” he said. “I’m just going to compete hard wherever I go.”
