<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-rumors-dalton-knecht-gets-encouraging-sign-after-summer-league-struggles');   ga('set', 'title', 'Lakers rumors: Dalton Knecht gets encouraging sign after Summer League struggles');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Knecht.jpg"><figcaption>Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Lakers rumors: Dalton Knecht gets encouraging sign after Summer League struggles</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-14T02:52:47-07:00">August 14th, 2:52am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-14T02:52:47-07:00">August 14th, 2:52am</time><address><a>Miguel La Torre</a>Miguel La Torre is a lifelong sports junkie and seasoned sports writer whose passion for the game has been with him since childhood. A former soccer player turned dedicated runner, he's now chasing his dream of completing all seven major world marathons. Miguel is also a proud Utah Jazz believer, a passionate Manchester United and Real Madrid supporter, and loyal Novak Djokovic fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Lakers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Dalton Knecht’s Summer League struggles <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-rumors-insider-dalton-knecht-trade-value">may have raised eyebrows among fans</a>, but within NBA circles, the sentiment appears far less dramatic. <a href="https://www.hoopshype.com/story/sports/nba/rumors/2025/08/13/nba-talent-evaluators-not-reading-too-much-into-dalton-knechts-summer-league-performance/85650663007/" rel="noopener">According to league evaluators</a>, the Los Angeles Lakers aren’t rushing to hit the panic button on the 24-year-old wing, and his future with the team <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-dalton-knecht-game-nba-summer-league">could still be promising if he makes the right adjustments</a> heading into the 2025–26 season.</p><p>While the sample size in Las Vegas was small, Knecht’s shooting woes and inconsistent defensive impact <a href="https://lakeshowlife.com/los-angeles-lakers-not-training-camp-dalton-knecht-already-thin-ice" rel="noopener">were hard to ignore for casual viewers</a>. Still, sources close to the situation suggest that summer league performance, especially for a second-year player, often isn’t the definitive gauge of future contributions. Many front offices view it as an experimental environment, where players work on new skills or roles rather than focusing solely on winning games. For Knecht, that meant taking on responsibilities outside his typical comfort zone, which may have contributed to his uneven production.</p><p>The Lakers, who are operating under championship expectations, understand that development is rarely linear. With LeBron James continuing to lead the way and Anthony Davis anchoring the defense, the team’s supporting cast must find ways to complement their stars. Knecht’s elite catch-and-shoot potential remains a skill set the Lakers value highly, especially alongside primary creators like Austin Reaves. The challenge, however, is ensuring that his defense and decision-making are strong enough to earn consistent minutes in head coach JJ Redick’s rotation.</p><p>The addition of veteran wings such as Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia this offseason signals that the Lakers are preparing for depth and defensive reliability on the perimeter. For Knecht, that makes training camp a crucial proving ground. His ability to buy into the team’s defensive schemes, maintain high shooting efficiency, and make quick, smart reads on the floor could be the difference between a secure rotation spot and another season on the fringe.</p><p>One encouraging sign for Knecht is the internal confidence that he can rebound from a shaky summer. NBA evaluators reportedly see value in his size, shooting stroke, and ability to space the floor—traits that tend to translate when paired with elite playmakers. If he can clean up lapses on defense and improve his physical presence in matchups, the Lakers could find themselves with a reliable two-way contributor by midseason.</p><p>It’s also worth noting that the front office has not indicated any urgent plans to move Knecht, despite speculation about his fit. With the Lakers’ roster already tight against the salary cap, younger players on cost-controlled contracts like Knecht are valuable assets, especially if they can contribute in playoff rotations. That means the team has every reason to see if he can progress before exploring trade scenarios.</p><p>The road ahead will require discipline and focus. Training camp starts September 29, giving Knecht a limited window to show he belongs in the conversation for meaningful minutes. The Lakers’ veteran core is chasing another deep playoff run, and any player who proves they can help achieve that goal will get opportunities, summer league results aside.</p><p>In other words, Dalton Knecht’s NBA story is far from written. For now, the Lakers and league evaluators seem willing to look past a rough July, focusing instead on whether the young wing can turn potential into production when it matters most.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Lakers rumors: Dalton Knecht gets encouraging sign after Summer League struggles

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-rumors-insider-dalton-knecht-trade-value');   ga('set', 'title', 'Lakers rumors: Insider reveals Dalton Knecht’s falling trade value');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Lakers-guard-Dalton-Knecht-4-reacts.jpg"><figcaption>© Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Lakers rumors: Insider reveals Dalton Knecht’s falling trade value</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-22T11:09:53-07:00">July 22nd, 11:09am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-22T11:24:42-07:00">July 22nd, 11:24am</time><address><a>Caleb Nixon</a>Caleb Nixon is a graduate of Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism and currently works as a sports reporter for ABC27 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. In addition to his full-time role, Caleb pursues his passion for writing through freelance coverage of basketball and football.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Lakers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Like his rookie season with the Los Angeles Lakers, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/lakers-news-fans-worried-dalton-knecht-2-summer-league-games">Dalton Knecht’s NBA Summer League was full of highs and lows.</a> In three games in Las Vegas, Knecht averaged 10.3 points per game while shooting 27.9% from the field and 23.8% from 3-point range.</p><p>His only <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/lakers-news-dalton-knecht-silences-critics-monster-summer-league-game">outstanding performance was in Utah’s Summer League on July 8,</a> when he scored 25 points on 50% shooting. But the overall <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/3FLJ7gTuCsI?t=1844s" rel="noopener">lack of consistency has since driven</a> Knecht’s price down, according to Lakers insider Jovan Buha.</p><p>“The chatter in Las Vegas about Dalton Knecht was not good,” Buha reported on his YouTube channel. “Summer league has not helped Dalton Knecht’s stock, and I don’t think at this point he is valued as a first-round pick in terms of an asset evaluation.”</p><p>Buva added that he heard this from multiple non-Lakers sources when assessing the interest surrounding Knecht.</p><h2><b>What does this mean for the Lakers?</b></h2><p>Last season, Los Angeles tried to trade Knecht for Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams. Although the deal was ultimately rescinded due to Williams’ health, it still underscores the Lakers’ willingness to move Knecht for a win-now piece.</p><p>Buha pointed to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/76ers-rumors-the-shortest-contract-quentin-grimes-is-expected-to-sign">Philadelphia 76ers restricted free agent Quentin Grimes</a> as an example. If the Lakers were to include Knecht in those conversations, Buha believes a “real asset” would have to be included, items that he says could be another player or potentially a first-round draft pick.</p><p>Knecht’s rookie season featured plenty of bright spots, including seven games with over 20 points. However, it also featured rough patches, particularly as the Lakers returned to full health. His role began to diminish as the postseason approached, playing less than 10 minutes in eight of the last 12 regular-season games.</p><p>Typically, teams want upcoming sophomores to play in the Summer League not only to get more reps but also to evaluate the player’s development. To say the least, Knecht’s three games shooting under 25% from the field were far from promising.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/siegels-scoop-nba-intel-chris-paul-bradley-beal-marcus-smart-deals">With the addition of Marcus Smart</a>, Knecht will likely struggle to secure a spot in the rotation. If that happens, the Lakers may look to trade him. However, his falling stock could make it difficult to leverage Knecht to upgrade the current Lakers roster.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Lakers rumors: Insider reveals Dalton Knecht’s falling trade value

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-dalton-knecht-summer-league-game-absence');   ga('set', 'title', 'Dalton Knecht’s summer league game absence gets clarity');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMG_0047.jpeg"><figcaption>Candice Ward-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Dalton Knecht’s summer league game absence gets clarity</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-12T19:55:25-07:00">July 12th, 7:55pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-12T19:55:25-07:00">July 12th, 7:55pm</time><address><a>David Yapkowitz</a>David Yapkowitz is an NBA Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a credentialed reporter based in Los Angeles who covers the NBA/WNBA, NCAA/NCAAW and boys/girls high school basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Lakers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>When the Los Angeles Lakers took the court for their second game in Las Vegas during NBA Summer League, there was one face noticeably absent in second-year wing Dalton Knecht. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-dalton-knecht-mavericks-injury">Knecht suffered a calf cramp</a> during the team’s first summer league game in Vegas, but that wasn’t the main reason why he did not play against the New Orleans Pelicans in Game 2.</p><p>Dalton Knecht <a href="https://x.com/mcten/status/1944178054755946628" rel="noopener">was held out of</a> the Lakers’ second summer league game in Vegas due to general rest, as per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Knecht played with the Lakers’ entry at the California Classic and the team just wanted to prioritize rest. It wasn’t really out of concern for the calf, which is good news for Lakers fans.</p><p>Knecht had gotten off to a slow start at the California Classic, going 5-0f-20 from the field and 0-of-9 from three-point range in the first two games up in Golden State before finding his rhythm in the Lakers’ third game. During the Lakers’ final game at the California Classic, Knecht exploded for 25 points on 9-of-18 shooting from the field and 4-of-8 shooting from the three-point line.</p><p>His final performance in Golden State was a welcome sign for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-fans-worried-dalton-knecht-2-summer-league-games">Lakers fans who were no doubt worried seeing Knecht’s early summer performances</a>. Knecht had a decent showing in his first game in Vegas this year finishing with 15 points and shooting 3-0f-7 from the three-point line.</p><p>It was a whirlwind of a rookie season for Knecht this past year. He started out strong, earning a spot in the Lakers regular rotation early, and even dropping a career-high 37 points in just the 14th game of his career. But his play and minutes dropped off following the rescinded trade between the Lakers and the Hornets that would have had Knecht going to the Hornets and Mark Williams joining the Lakers.</p><p>Overall, Knecht appeared in 78 games, including 16 starts, at a little over 19 minutes per game. He averaged 9.1 points and 2.8 rebounds with splits of 46.1 percent shooting from the field, 37.6 percent shooting from the three-point line, and 76.2 percent shooting from the free-throw line.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dalton Knecht’s summer league game absence gets clarity

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-dalton-knecht-mavericks-injury');   ga('set', 'title', 'Dalton Knecht leaves Summer League game vs. Mavericks with injury');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Lakers-forward-Dalton-Knecht-against-Blazers.jpg"><figcaption>Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Dalton Knecht leaves Summer League game vs. Mavericks with injury</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-10T19:57:34-07:00">July 10th, 7:57pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-10T19:57:34-07:00">July 10th, 7:57pm</time><address><a>Zachary Draves</a>Zachary Draves is a sportswriter and broadcaster based in the Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa. Zachary covers a variety of different sports as well as sports history, sport and society, and sport and culture. He is also a professor of sociology.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Lakers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>On Wednesday, Los Angeles Lakers guard <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-dalton-knecht-silences-critics-monster-summer-league-game" rel="noopener">Dalton Knecht had a breakout Summer League debut</a>. He finished with 25 points, and the Lakers defeated the San Antonio Spurs 89-88. </p><p>However, he <a href="https://x.com/jovanbuha/status/1943494579396972744" rel="noopener">walked out early</a> on Thursday against the Dallas Mavericks due to a cramp in his calf, per NBA reporter Jovan Buha. The Lakers ultimately lost to the Mavericks 87-85 in another closely contested game. </p><p>Before his injury, Knecht had 15 points and shot 6/16 from the field in 26 minutes of play. </p><p>The Lakers’ Summer League game against the Dallas Mavericks was defined by one thing and one thing alone. That was the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-bronny-james-cooper-flagg-summer-league" rel="noopener">matchup between Bronny James and Cooper Flagg</a>. </p><p>But Knecht had made himself out to be a player to watch out for. He is entering his second NBA season after being drafted by the Lakers as the 17th pick in the 2024 Draft.</p><p>This past year, Knecht ended the season averaging 9 points per game. Last November, he <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-dalton-knecht-nba-record-nuclear-half-jazz" rel="noopener">tied an NBA record with nine three-pointers</a> against the Utah Jazz. Altogether, he finished with 37 points in total. </p><p>In February, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-mark-williams-dalton-knecht-hornets-trade" rel="noopener">Knecht was supposed to be traded to the Charlotte Hornets</a> for center Mark Williams. </p><p>However, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-mark-williams-dalton-knecht-trade-shockingly-rescinded" rel="noopener">trade was rescinded</a> due to Williams failing a physical. The state of Knecht’s injury is unknown. </p><h2><b>What the Lakers expect from Dalton Knecht </b></h2><p>Knecht has proven himself to be a high-caliber scorer at times. Ultimately, the Lakers aim to develop him into a more consistent scorer and defender. </p><p>As a scorer, Knecht <a href="https://lakersnation.com/lakers-news-dalton-knecht-expected-to-play-summer-league/#:~:text=The%20Los%20Angeles%20Lakers%20front,way%20contract%20with%20the%20Lakers." rel="noopener">has the potential to be</a> what the team calls a “movement shooter” – a player who can score while playing at a high tempo. Furthermore, the Lakers are looking to strengthen their defense with Knecht being a crucial focus. </p><p>Last year, he finished with a defensive rating of 117.9. The Lakers are looking for him to become a more vigorous defender and be able to stay with his man. </p><p>If he can do those things, he could find himself in the starting lineup. </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dalton Knecht leaves Summer League game vs. Mavericks with injury

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-dalton-knecht-silences-critics-monster-summer-league-game');   ga('set', 'title', 'Lakers’ Dalton Knecht silences critics with monster Summer League game');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Lakers-forward-Dalton-Knecht-against-Blazers.jpg"><figcaption>Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Lakers’ Dalton Knecht silences critics with monster Summer League game</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-09T08:30:52-07:00">July 9th, 8:30am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-09T08:30:52-07:00">July 9th, 8:30am</time><address><a>Yasmin Edañol</a>Yasmin D.G. Edañol is a PhD candidate in Chemistry at the University of the Philippines Diliman, with a background in scientific research and publishing. He brings a data-driven perspective to sports storytelling as an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints, with a focus on the NBA. Whether it's breaking down a clutch play or a stat line, he believes every great moment has a deeper layer waiting to be uncovered.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Lakers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Los Angeles Lakers forward Dalton Knecht finally gave fans a reason to cheer in the NBA Summer League. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-fans-worried-dalton-knecht-2-summer-league-games">Knecht had struggled early</a>, failing to find his rhythm in his first two games. But in his latest outing, the rookie wing broke out in a big way. He poured in 25 points and showed the versatile skill set that made him a first-round pick. The performance was a timely answer to rising criticism. Knecht had gone scoreless from three over two disappointing showings, sparking doubts about his readiness.</p><p>Knecht came into this game with plenty of questions surrounding his shooting and confidence. In his first two appearances, he looked tentative and out of sync, missing all nine of his attempts from beyond the arc. As a result, social media buzzed with concern, with some questioning whether he was ready for the NBA pace and pressure. However, instead of wilting under the scrutiny, Knecht <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NE5qb-WmYY" rel="noopener">responded loudly and decisively</a>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/lakers-news-la-makes-final-bronny-james-summer-league-decision">In his third NBA Summer League outing for the Lakers</a>, Knecht erupted for 25 points on 9-of-18 shooting, including 4-of-8 from beyond the arc. He also added eight rebounds in just under 29 minutes of play. In short, he looked every bit like the offensive weapon the Lakers hoped he’d become. He moved well without the ball, attacked closeouts with confidence, and made smart, decisive drives to the rim. Furthermore, he knocked down multiple long-range shots with ease, finally showing the stroke that had been missing earlier in the week.</p><p>More importantly, Knecht played with poise and urgency throughout. He looked far more composed, shaking off early nerves and dictating the game’s tempo with the ball in his hands. His energy and body language were noticeably different, focused, confident, and engaged on both ends of the floor.</p><p>While this performance doesn’t erase his early struggles, it certainly reshapes the narrative. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-dalton-knecht-game-nba-summer-league">Dalton Knecht reminded everyone</a> why he was selected 17th overall and why the Lakers remain confident in his upside. If he can build on this momentum in Las Vegas, he’ll make a strong case for regular-season minutes.</p><p>In the end, this wasn’t just a boost to his stat line, it was a statement.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
9.1	2.8	0.8	0.1	0.3

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
9.1	2.8	0.8	0.1	0.3

Dalton Knecht

Latest Dalton Knecht News

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Dalton Knecht leaves Summer League game vs. Mavericks with injury

Lakers’ Dalton Knecht silences critics with monster Summer League game

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