Is Rob Pelinka Responsible For Dalton Knecht Debacle? Journalist Thinks Lakers Suffered

Rob Pelinka and the Lakers Lakers mishandled Dalton Knecht big time.

Is Rob Pelinka Responsible For Dalton Knecht Debacle? Journalist Thinks Lakers Suffered

Rob Pelinka and Dalton Knecht (Image credits - Yahoo Sports)

Rob Pelinka and the Los Angeles Lakers are officially entering a new era on and off the court. Unfortunately, Dalton Knecht isn’t part of their future plans.

Drafted by the Lakers as the 17th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Knecht was in the same draft class as Bronny James, who was a second-round pick. In his first two seasons, Knecht has struggled for minutes and often found himself out of the rotation.

There was a lot of talk about Knecht’s future after Pelinka and Lakers management revamped the roster. With the 2026-27 regular season starting on October 20, the Lakers had to let one player go before Monday. The presumed option was Knecht.

It was clear that head coach JJ Redick and the coaching staff did not see the same value in Knecht as they once did. The Lakers had multiple chances to trade him for value after he showed some bright moments earlier in his career.

In the end, they waived him away for nothing. CBS Sports NBA reporter Sam Quinn pointed the finger at Pelinka for their disastrous 2024 picks.

The 2024 draft was a complete disaster for Rob Pelinka. Neither DK nor Bronny are real NBA players yet. They couldn’t recover from the botched DK trade. They signed too many players, had a whole offseason to trade DK or Bronny, couldn’t, and now are stuck with more than $4.2 million in dead money.

Sam Quinn on X

LeBron James was a big supporter of Knecht and his game. However, many believe that he is the one responsible for Knecht’s stunted development, as the Lakers always chose Bronny to keep him happy.

Rob Pelinka botched Dalton Knecht’s trade window

Heading into the new season, the vibes and excitement surrounding the Lakers have been very high. They have seen a number of additions to their roster as they built their team around Luka Doncic.

The reviews regarding their new-look roster remain mixed. Some are optimistic that they will be a much better team than last season, while some do not see the hype in the roster. With Dalton Knecht waived off, it is now clear that Rob Pelinka has mishandled the 25-year-old’s situation the whole time.

Lakers management never traded him even when he had any value; letting him go for nothing was a failure on Pelinka’s part. They made a big mistake last October by picking up his contract option, meaning they will have to pay him for the upcoming season as well.

The 2024 draft will be remembered for Rob Pelinka’s blunders, as neither Knecht nor Bronny James has grown into an NBA-caliber player. The Lakers are now stuck with the financial consequences and now have no choice but to simply eat Knecht’s cap hit for the 2026-27 campaign.

What changed for Dalton Knecht since his rookie season?

When Dalton Knecht was picked by the Lakers, he was already 23 years old and had spent five years in college. Known for his shooting prowess, Knecht shot at 38% from beyond the arc in his rookie season and averaged 9.1 points in 76 appearances.

Dalton Knecht will wait to find his next destination
Dalton Knecht will wait to find his next destination (Image via LADEig/X)

Unfortunately, his playing time under Redick has only decreased since. Speaking to reporters, the head coach spoke about what changed for Knecht since his rookie year.

I think the biggest thing is the team changed. The team changed. Needs changed, the fit changed. I think he’s gotten better as a player the last two years. I think, particularly last year, each guy got plenty of opportunities with the injuries we had. I just think coming into this year, we added a lot of wings and he’s in a tough spot right now.

JJ Redick to reporters

With Knecht in free agency, it will be interesting to see which team signs him ahead of the new season. The Lakers can now focus on the season while Knecht looks for his future team.

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