Dalton Knecht received an encouraging assessment from JJ Redick on Thursday as the Los Angeles Lakers continued a training camp that could help determine whether the former first-round pick remains with the team.
Redick credited Knecht’s professionalism and offseason preparation while discussing his start to camp. The praise comes with the Lakers still facing a roster decision, making the coach’s evaluation relevant even though it does not establish that Knecht has secured a place on the opening-night team.
Redick pointed to both the work Knecht put in before camp and what he has shown since practices began.
JJ Redick on Dalton Knecht, who's entering his 3rd season with the Lakers, and his approach to training camp: "First of all, he's been a pro. He's been in the gym. Like he has since Day 1, he has worked his butt off all offseason. And he's had a good three days of practice. So I… pic.twitter.com/heNsCTg6px
— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) October 1, 2026
“Like he has since day one, he has worked his butt off all offseason,” Redick said.
The coach also gave Knecht a positive assessment of his first three practices. For a player whose future has become a subject of roster reporting, that is a useful development: His performance is drawing praise while the Lakers evaluate their options.
The important question is what follows from that evaluation. A strong practice stretch can help Knecht’s case, but Los Angeles still has to determine how many players it can keep and which combinations Redick will trust when games begin.
Why Dalton Knecht’s Lakers roster spot remains a question
The uncertainty surrounding Knecht has a specific roster context. The Lakers have 16 players on their active roster and identified Knecht and Jaden Hardy as the likely candidates in the competition for the final place as Los Angeles gets down to 15.
Dalton Knecht is a likely candidate to be waived by the Lakers, if they can’t find a trade soon.
Knecht has fallen behind Bronny James and Jaden Hardy as Los Angeles holds a camp battle for their final roster spots.
Knecht fell out of favor early on with head coach JJ Redick. pic.twitter.com/Qp4GoIa42y
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) October 1, 2026
The organization had explored deals that would send out two players and bring back one. There was an opportunity to acquire Buddy Hield that the Lakers did not pursue.
Los Angeles could resolve the numbers through a transaction, or it could make a cut after evaluating the players already in camp. A favorable coaching assessment matters to the basketball evaluation, but it cannot settle which personnel route the front office will take.
Rob Pelinka had already discussed both competition and possible consolidation trades at the team’s Sept. 24 news conference. The organization was leaving room to evaluate camp before completing its roster.
For Knecht, the practical challenge is therefore broader than beating another player in a shooting drill. He needs to demonstrate a role worth preserving while the Lakers also consider whether a deal could address a different need.
Last year’s camp praise offers an important comparison
There is a concrete reason to treat Thursday’s positive assessment as a starting point. Knecht has drawn strong camp reviews from Redick before, including an offensive endorsement during the previous preseason that came with a clear qualification.
Redick previously described Knecht as the team’s strongest offensive performer in camp while emphasizing the other end of the floor.
“Again, his sort of ceiling is gonna be based on his improvement this season as a defender,” Redick said then.
That historical standard gives this year’s evaluation something specific to measure against. Making shots in practice can earn attention and opportunities, but the question is whether Knecht can stay useful when opponents make him defend actions, communicate with teammates and respond to changing assignments.
Knecht averaged 4.2 points per game last season. That production does not, by itself, explain every decision about his playing time, but it shows why an encouraging October assessment should not be treated as proof that a larger role will follow.
His scoring ability has produced a much higher single-game ceiling. He scored 37 points with nine 3-pointers against Utah in November 2024.
The Lakers’ archival highlights of that performance offer a reminder of why his shooting remains part of the conversation. They cannot answer the current question of whether he can contribute consistently enough to hold a role on this roster.
The Lakers have other ways to fill perimeter minutes
Knecht’s evaluation is taking place alongside encouraging reports about other perimeter players. After Wednesday’s practice, Austin Reaves identified Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams as defensive standouts through the first two days, as Lakers Daily previously covered.
Reaves also described the difficulty of attacking a group that included Adou Thiero and Walker Kessler. His assessment matters here because it illustrates the range of contributions Redick can consider when allocating playing time.
The comparison is not simply which player can score the most. A lineup may need someone to pressure a ball handler, recover to a shooter or provide spacing without requiring the offense to run through him.
Knecht’s strongest case would show how his shooting helps a particular group without forcing that group to surrender too much elsewhere.
The Lakers also have two starting positions to resolve around Luka Doncic, Reaves and Kessler. Those openings should not be confused with the decision about the final roster place, but both questions make lineup compatibility important.
Redick has described a competitive process that can continue after the initial rotation is set. Speaking after the first practice of this camp, he used Max Christie’s progression during his first season as coach to explain how a player’s standing can change.
“You gotta earn your minutes and you cheer for your teammates while you’re doing it,” Redick said.
In Redick’s account, Christie lost his place in the rotation before returning and eventually becoming a starter. The example supplies a useful distinction for Knecht: A coach can recognize a player’s work while continuing to require better execution before expanding his responsibilities.
That leaves room for improvement to matter over time. It also means that making the roster and earning regular minutes are separate achievements, with the latter requiring evidence beyond a player’s reputation as a shooter.
Knecht has dealt with an uncertain Lakers future before
This is not Knecht’s first experience with the business side of his Lakers career. In February 2025, he was included in the proposed trade for Charlotte center Mark Williams before the deal was rescinded.
At the time, Knecht described leaving Los Angeles and then returning as a disorienting experience. That history helps explain the interest in his current situation, although it should not be used as an unsupported explanation for his subsequent performance.
The relevant evidence now is what he does with the opportunities available in this camp. Redick’s comments indicate that the preparation and early practice work have been positive; the next step is showing how that work can help the team in game situations.
For a shooter, that includes recognizing an available attempt quickly and maintaining useful spacing when the ball goes elsewhere. For a reserve trying to earn trust, it also includes completing the defensive possession after his initial assignment changes or a teammate needs help.
Those are the kinds of contributions that would make a productive shooting night more valuable. They would give Redick a reason to use Knecht in a defined combination rather than relying on the possibility that he might get hot.
Thursday’s assessment gives Knecht something positive to build on as that evaluation continues. The roster decision remains unresolved, but his coach has supplied an encouraging early review of the work he is doing to influence it.
