The Los Angeles Lakers sent Dalton Knecht down to the G League recently. While nothing is set in stone, this could open the door for the Milwaukee Bucks to trade for him on the cheap and turn him into their next reclamation project, similar to Ousmane Dieng.
Bucks have thrived with picking up young players on the cheap
Knecht's sharpshooting ability caught the eye in college, and a 37-point performance just a month into his NBA career had Lakers fans thinking he was about to be a huge part of their present and future alongside LeBron James.
Fast forward to 2026, and he has really struggled to build on a solid rookie season. In 48 games this season, the wing is averaging 4.2 points, 1.4 assists, and 1.1 rebounds on shooting splits of .448/.307/.700. He has almost had his minutes halved by JJ Redick from 19.2 minutes last year to just 10.6 minutes per game this season, and is now heading to the G League for playing time.
Confidence has clearly been lost with a drop in shooting splits, particularly from 3-point range, where it has dropped from 37.6 percent to 30.7 percent. Knecht clearly has talent; he averaged 9.1 points in his rookie year, when he was behind James, Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves, and then Doncic when he arrived.
The bright lights of LA can play havoc with a player, with Knecht's early performances almost being his downfall. Fans then began to really put pressure on him as a rookie to be this key rotation piece right away. Surprisingly, his ability to stretch the floor makes him feel like a good fit alongside Luka Doncic, but he has clearly lost the faith of his head coach.
Lakers already showed they would trade the wing
He was moments away from being on the move as he was part of the Mark Williams trade that, in the end, fell through last season. That shows he is more than available, and now being sent to the G League could really drop the asking price for him. A fresh start with a team like Milwaukee, away from a big market and that pressure drop, could help Knecht grow as a player.
Milwaukee has struggled with its drafting, but has been successful in picking up forgotten young players on the cheap. Dieng has been very impressive since arriving. Kevin Porter Jr. was a steal of a trade, and then Ryan Rollins and AJ Green are players they picked up on two-way deals and have grown into key rotation pieces. Knecht could follow in those footsteps.
As a fit, the Bucks are one of the heaviest 3-point-reliant teams in the NBA and are second in makes, so he will certainly be allowed to get those shots up to get back to his sharpshooting best. How the Bucks roster looks come the summer, nobody knows, but if he is there at a bargain price, Dalton Knecht can be another reclamation project for the Bucks.