The 2024-25 NBA season was full of ups and downs for one Los Angeles Lakers rookie.
Getting drafted to a team as iconic as the Los Angeles Lakers is a dream come true for any NBA prospect.
Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht fulfilled that dream when the Lakers picked him with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Knecht emerged as an explosive prospect in his final year in the NCAA, earning a consensus AA nod amid other accolades. For what it’s worth, DK was off to a terrific start with the Lakers as well.
The rise of Dalton Knecht with the Purple and Gold
Having been picked in the middle of the first round, Knecht surely has many positive aspects to his game. Evidently, many believed the Lakers struck gold with an underrated prospect.
Taking a look back at his rookie season, Knecht put himself on the map in November 2024. The then-23-year-old scored 114 points in a five-game stretch, simultaneously climbing the NBA’s Rookie of the Year ladder.
In fact, he averaged 13.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game in November 2024, playing a stellar 26.4 minutes per game.
According to data provided by Sofascore, Knecht averaged 9.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game while shooting 46.5% from the field and 35.8% from deep until the NBA Trade Deadline.
But things started to go downhill for the terrific prospect after he was dealt to the Charlotte Hornets in a trade for Mark Williams.
Although the Lakers rescinded the trade, Knecht’s confidence took a major hit, and head coach JJ Redick seemingly started losing trust in the highly touted rookie.
JJ Redick losing trust meant a brutal fall for Knecht
Knecht’s confidence was expectedly shaken to the core after his return to the Lakers. He eventually regained it, thanks to mentorship from Lakers veterans, but the damage was already done.
The Lakers rookie had an abysmal February 2025, averaging just 5.1 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 0.4 assists while featuring in just 13.6 minutes per game.
DK did average 19.2 minutes per game in March 2025, but his numbers fell to 10.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game.
Coach Redick once again cut Knecht’s minutes in April 2025. By the time the 2025 NBA Playoffs started, it became obvious that Knecht was no longer a crucial part of Redick’s rotation.
For context, Knecht played just two games in the playoffs for a grand total of four minutes. He averaged just 2.5 points and 1.5 rebounds per game, which is not a surprise considering his restricted exposure.
