Los Angeles Lakers release former first round pick Dalton Knecht

Roster cuts in Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Lakers made a big roster move on Monday. The team announced they have waived guard Dalton Knecht. The franchise had 16 players under contract and needed to reduce that number to 15, which is the maximum allowed for an NBA roster, before the 5 p.m. ET deadline.

Knecht entered the league as the No. 17 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. He joined the Lakers after a standout junior season at the University of Tennessee.

Looking back at his time on the court

During his rookie year, Knecht showed flashes of great talent. He had a strong stretch in November where he played nine games and averaged 18.9 points. He shot 55.4% from the floor and 52.2% from beyond the arc during that period, adding 4.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists.

However, his production dipped over time. In his rookie campaign, he played 78 games and averaged 9.1 points in 19.2 minutes per contest. By his second year, his playing time dropped to 10.2 minutes across 54 games, and his averages fell to 4.2 points and 1.4 rebounds.

During four preseason appearances this month, Knecht averaged 2.8 points and 1.3 rebounds in 11.9 minutes per game.

What coach JJ Redick said

Before the preseason finale against the Denver Nuggets, Lakers coach JJ Redick spoke about why Knecht struggled to maintain his early momentum with the team.

"I think the biggest thing is the team changed," Redick said. "The team changed. The needs changed, the fit changed. I think he got better as a player over the last two years. I think each guy has, particularly last year, each guy got plenty of opportunities with the amount of injuries we had. So, I just think coming into this year, we added a lot of wings and he's in a tough spot right now."