Lakers Focus on Dalton Knecht's Development in South Bay

Dalton Knecht's role with the Los Angeles Lakers has been inconsistent. The Lakers have responded to this by assigning Knecht, alongside Adou Thiero, to the South Bay Lakers for development. This is Knecht's first assignment for the 2025-26 NBA season, as reported by Dan Woike of The Athletic.

The Lakers do not play again until Thursday night against the Utah Jazz, while South Bay has a matchup tonight against the San Diego Clippers. Knecht has played above 10 minutes in only one of his last five appearances with the Lakers, and two of those games saw him play less than five minutes.

The other two matchups had him not play at all. Knecht, who is shooting 36.2 percent from beyond the arc, is still one of the more reliable shooting options on the Lakers roster, despite his shortcomings in other areas.

The timing of this assignment, occurring on December 15, coincides with the start of trade season, and there have been trade rumors surrounding Knecht since the Mark Williams trade fell apart. The Lakers are battling for seeding in the Western Conference, making it difficult for Knecht to find consistent minutes.

This assignment with South Bay provides him the opportunity to shake off rust and potentially showcase his skills. A strong performance could draw attention back to him as a prospect.