Knicks eye Dalton Knecht after Lakers cut him

Dalton Knecht hasn't been on the open market long, and the Knicks are already on the list of teams interested in him.

Legion Hoops

@LegionHoops

The Knicks have interest in signing former Laker Dalton Knecht. (@IanBegley)

It's a fast turnaround for a guy the Lakers took 17th overall in 2024. LA waived him Monday, right before the roster deadline and 2 days before opening night against the Warriors. The Lakers spent weeks trying to trade him and found no taker. With a $4.2 million cap hit, Knecht reportedly had negative trade value, so Bronny James and Jaden Hardy made the roster and he didn't.

There's a catch for New York, though. The Knicks have all 3 of their 2-way spots filled, and the only opening left is their 15th standard roster spot, which they're keeping empty to stay clear of the second apron. If Knecht comes in on a 2-way, somebody already on one has to go. That makes the Knicks a less natural fit than the teams that have open 2-way spots right now: Sacramento, Toronto and Minnesota have all been linked to him.

Brett Siegel thinks this gets settled quickly and that it'll be on a 2-way deal. He also threw out a team that hasn't been in most of the chatter.

ClutchPoints

@ClutchPoints

ClutchPoints’ @BrettSiegelNBA on Dalton Knecht’s future: “I think within the next week or two, you’re gonna see Dalton Knecht sign with a team on a two way contract… I think the Wizards are a very interesting team to keep an eye on… Washington could be an interesting route there.” (via “Clutch Scoops”)

Washington makes sense if you think about it for 5 seconds. A rebuilding team can give a 25-year-old shooter real minutes and let him take bad shots without anyone losing their mind. In New York he'd be fighting for scraps on a contender. Siegel's read is basically that, a place where Knecht can play and not just sit at the end of the bench.

Remember, Knecht did have a moment. In November 2024 he dropped 37 points with 9 threes against Utah, in the middle of a 9-game run where he averaged 18.9 points. The Lakers liked him enough to put him in the Mark Williams trade with Charlotte in February 2025, and that deal was called off when Williams failed his physical. After that he faded. He finished with 7.1 points per game in 132 games as a Laker and was down to about 10 minutes a night last season.

Nobody's buying a lottery ticket here, but it's a cheap one. A 2-way deal costs basically nothing, and Knecht can still shoot. If Siegel is right, we'll know where he lands within 2 weeks. The Knicks are interested, but they'd have to cut somebody to make room, while Washington just needs to call him.