The Los Angeles Lakers are running out of time and roster spots, and the Dalton Knecht trade saga has the third-year wing caught in the middle. According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks have held exploratory trade discussions on a framework that would send the third-year wing — along with second-round draft capital — to Milwaukee in exchange for center Jericho Sims.
“League sources say that the Lakers and Bucks have held exploratory trade discussions,” Fischer reported Thursday on the Stein Line. “Yet it must be said that I’ve also heard some pessimism from sources briefed on those talks that such a trade will actually go through.” The Dalton Knecht trade chatter has intensified with Monday’s roster deadline approaching, and Los Angeles may be forced to waive the 25-year-old if no deal materializes.
Dalton Knecht Trade Talks With Bucks: The Framework
The proposed structure is straightforward: Knecht plus draft compensation for Sims, giving the Lakers another interior option while offering Milwaukee a low-cost look at a former first-round pick’s shooting. But a straight one-for-one swap would not solve Los Angeles’ math problem. The Lakers currently carry 16 players on standard contracts and must cut down to 15 by Monday, one day before the 2026-27 regular season begins — so any Dalton Knecht trade would likely require additional moves or a third team to create the needed opening.
Fischer also reported that the Lakers, Bucks and Memphis Grizzlies are all actively exploring the trade market to address similar roster crunches, adding urgency to conversations across the league. Teams must finalize their 15-man standard rosters by 2 p.m. Pacific time on October 19. Fischer noted that the Lakers might be forced to simply waive Knecht if no deal materializes between now and then, which would let the former first-round pick sign anywhere as a free agent.
Dalton Knecht Trade Market Extends Beyond Milwaukee
Milwaukee is not the only suitor. Hoops Wire reported earlier this week that the Lakers are actively shopping Knecht, with the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics among the teams showing interest in a Dalton Knecht trade. ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel added that Los Angeles is exploring discussions league-wide as the deadline nears. The Athletic’s Dan Woike, answering fan questions on Reddit, wrote that the team would exhaust every option before cutting bait: “Waiving is the last resort and they’ll exhaust trade options first.”
The market for a Dalton Knecht trade has cooled considerably since his promising rookie season. Selected No. 17 overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, he averaged 9.1 points and 2.8 rebounds in 19.2 minutes per game as a rookie while shooting 46.1 percent from the field and 37.6 percent from three. Last season, those numbers fell to 4.2 points and 1.4 rebounds in just 10.2 minutes across 54 appearances, and his minus-8.5 net rating was the worst mark among all Lakers who appeared in at least 30 games.
Dalton Knecht Trade-or-Waive Deadline Looms Monday
Offseason additions of Quentin Grimes, Jaden Hardy and Matisse Thybulle deepened the wing rotation and pushed Knecht further from playing time. Woike offered a blunt assessment of why the former Tennessee standout has struggled to stick: “The biggest issue with Dalton Knecht hasn’t been shooting and hasn’t been defensive effort. It’s been processing.” On a team with little patience for mistakes, that has proven a difficult hurdle.
There is also awkward history. Los Angeles agreed to send Knecht to Charlotte in the Mark Williams deal in February 2025, only for the trade to be rescinded over concerns about Williams’ health. Knecht returned, but his role never developed as either side hoped, and the Lakers have been shopping him — along with forward Jarred Vanderbilt — for nearly two years. Lakers reporter Jovan Buha has predicted that if it comes down to a waiver, Knecht is the one who goes, with Hardy his direct competition for the final spot. Whether the Dalton Knecht trade saga ends with a deal or a pink slip, Monday’s deadline will settle it.