The Milwaukee Bucks still have an open two-way slot, and the Los Angeles Lakers could gift-wrap the team a no-brainer option. In a recent article for Lake Show Life, Tyler Watts floated the idea that amid their roster jam, perhaps the Lakers could cut ties with former first-round pick Dalton Knecht. If he did hit the market, the Bucks would be wise to chase him.
Knecht faces an uncertain future in Los Angeles
A few years ago, people across the NBA were wondering how Knecht dropped to the Lakers at 17 in the 2024 draft. After a strong tenure at Tennessee, he was projected to go much higher. Los Angeles was thrilled by his tumble, believing they just picked up an electric shooter who could slot into the mix from day one and make an impact. Well, that didn't quite happen.
Knecht played a decent role in his rookie season, averaging 9.1 points while shooting 37.6 percent on his 3-pointers in 19.2 minutes per game. Rather than taking a step forward, the wing regressed during his second season in Los Angeles, averaging just 4.2 points while burying 34.2 percent of his triples in 10.2 minutes per game as he fell out of Head Coach JJ Redick's favor.
Rather than preparing for a bounce-back campaign in year three, it looks like Knecht is destined to be buried even further down the depth chart due to the Lakers' abundance of guards and wings. A fresh start on a new team could be exactly what he needs.
Knecht would be a nice late offseason addition
With their final two-way opening, the Milwaukee Bucks should be exploring a small or power forward. They are loaded in the backcourt, and the center position has plenty of talent, so one more forward is a realistic option as the team looks to beef up its depth. This late in the offseason, it would be difficult to find a better option than Knecht if he hits the open market.
While he might not have a stable role from day one, it's certainly something Knecht could work his way into. Milwaukee's track record with promoting two-way players into standard contributors—look at Ryan Rollins and AJ Green—is one of the team's strengths over the last few years. If the forward comes in and shows growth, perhaps in the G League, he could work his way back up to the NBA.
First, before any of this, the Lakers need to cut Knecht loose. Amid their roster crunch, he is a logical candidate, but it remains to be seen whether they are ready to give up on him just yet.
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