Dalton Knecht update with Lakers ahead of NBA season

The Lakers waived Dalton Knecht on Monday after two seasons with Los Angeles.The former Vol was a first-round draft pick by the Lakers in 2024.During his tenure with the Lakers, he appeared in 132 contests and averaged 7.1 points, 2.2 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.3 steals and 0.1 blocks per game.Knecht, a former SEC Newcomer of the Year and SEC Player of the Year during his one season with the Vols, was selected by the Lakers with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft. During his rookie season, he appeared in 78 games and averaged 19.2 minutes per contest. Knecht averaged 9.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.3 steals and 0.1 blocks per game. He had a .461 field goal percentage and converted 37.6 percent of his three-point attempts. Knecht also recorded a .762 free throw percentage. In the 2025-26 season, he appeared in 54 games, averaging 10.2 minutes, 4.2 points, 1.4 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 0.3 steals and 0.1 blocks per game. He had a .455 field goal percentage, .342 three-point percentage and .727 free throw percentage.More: Kennedy Chandler, Ja'Kobi Gillespie face each other in NBA preseasonFollow Vols Wire on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).This article originally appeared on Vols Wire: Dalton Knecht update with Lakers ahead of NBA season