The Los Angeles Lakers must get back on track after falling behind 1-0 in their opening-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Although the Lakers may not win a championship this season, they’re expected to at least advance to the second round with their superstar duo of Luka Doncic and LeBron James.
There’s no question the playoffs have everyone’s attention now, but it’s worth noting that free agency isn’t too far away.
On Tuesday, Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus went on a limb and predicted that the Lakers would trade their gifted 6-foot-6 rookie guard to the Orlando Magic this summer.
“Just as the Charlotte Hornets made clear their commitment to Mark Williams at the February trade deadline, so did the Lakers with (Dalton) Knecht,” Pincus wrote Tuesday.
“That swap would have given the Hornets an explosive scorer/shooter who is probably too young for the win-now Lakers to develop properly. Knecht is on the older side as a 24-year-old rookie, but he has clear NBA skills when given the chance to play.”
“He shot 37.6% from three-point range this season, and that may be just scratching the surface of his potential from deep. Unfortunately for the Hornets, Williams didn’t pass his physical with the Lakers, so Knecht stayed in L.A.”
“The Magic are also in win-now mode, and they have a rapidly growing payroll. Now that Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs have signed extensions, they’ll turn to Paolo Banchero this offseason with what is expected to be a max extension. Orlando’s most significant weakness is shooting, which is Knecht’s greatest strength.”
“Perhaps acquiring Goga Bitadze or a center via multi-team trade for Knecht would suffice for the Lakers this summer.”
Knecht’s rookie season with the Lakers has been promising. While the Tennessee product still has a ways to go before reaching stardom in the big leagues, he’s had moments that suggest he’s headed in that direction.
From notching 32 points against the Denver Nuggets in a short-handed situation to closing the regular season with a 27-point explosion against the Portland Trail Blazers, Knecht’s smooth scoring ability has been flashed in Year 1.
Knecht averaged 9.1 points per game on 46.1% field goal shooting and 37.6% three-point shooting in 78 regular-season contests.
However, Knecht is an asset the Lakers felt comfortable including in their failed trade for Williams in early February, making it reasonable to assume the Lakers won’t hesitate to center an offseason deal for a frontcourt asset around him.
The 2024 SEC Newcomer of the Year’s tenure with the Lakers could end this summer.
