Dalton Knecht opens up on failed Lakers-Hornets trade: ‘It felt like a movie’

Not long before the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 6, the Los Angeles Lakers agreed to a trade that would’ve helped fortify their depth at the big man position in light of dealing star Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks.

Los Angeles agreed to send rookie Dalton Knecht, forward Cam Reddish, a pick swap and an unprotected first-round pick in the year 2031 to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for center Mark Williams.

However, the trade has since been rescinded after Williams allegedly failed a physical, meaning Knecht is still a member of the Lakers. The 23-year-old has opened up on the failed trade and admitted that going back and forth between the Hornets and Lakers “felt like a movie.”

Knecht said that he took the news that he was heading to Charlotte hard, but before he even got to play one game in a Hornets jersey, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka called him to let him know he was coming back to Los Angeles.

“It was hard,” Knecht said Wednesday after his first game back. “I got drafted here, so L.A. means a lot. So, hearing that and then I go to Charlotte in the morning with one of my guys and get introduced and start meeting all those people and then fly out to Detroit to what was called my ‘debut game,’ to then, now I’m flying back to L.A. Rob called me and said, ‘You’re coming back.’”

He also noted that it isn’t common for players to get traded away from a team only to land back with the squad days later.

“It was a crazy time,” Knecht said of his journey. “Not too many people have done that, come back (after being traded). But at the end of the day, I just wanted to hoop.”

The Hornets have reportedly called the league office trying to challenge the fact that the trade has been rescinded, though Knecht said he’s ready to hoop regardless of where he is or what comes of Charlotte’s probing.

“I had no clue, to be honest,” Knecht said. “I’m just doing what I love to do, going out there and playing. And like I said, whatever happens, happens. I’m just going to compete hard wherever I go, and hopefully, it’s L.A. Whatever happens, I’m just going to go out there and compete. I don’t care about anything. I just want to go play.”

A healthy Williams seemingly would have provided the Lakers with some much-needed two-way chops on the interior. He’s averaging nearly a double-double of 15.6 points and 9.6 rebounds per game in his third NBA season. Williams is also contributing 2.5 assists, 0.7 steals and 1.2 blocks per contest.

While the numbers Williams has put up this season speak for themselves, the problem is that he’s struggled to stay healthy this season and throughout his time in the pros. He’s suited up in less than half of Charlotte’s 52 games so far in the 2024-25 regular season and hasn’t played more than 43 games in any one season in the league.

In his most recent game played versus the Milwaukee Bucks on Feb. 5, he finished with six points, five rebounds and a pair of assists in a double-digit loss for Charlotte.