Los Angeles Lakers trade rumors: Approaching the 2025-26 season, LA is determined to rebound after a disappointing end to last postseason. With Luka Dončić, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves leading the roster, the team is balancing a long-term plan around Dončić with an immediate drive to win.
“Dončić being just 26 gives the Lakers a far longer timeline to build a championship-contending team, but that doesn’t mean they can slow down and take their time,” CBS Sports’ Jasmyn Wimbish wrote. “Dončić told Lakers president Rob Pelinka and coach JJ Redick in May that he’s not interested in taking the slow approach in building a contender.”
Dalton Knecht: From Promising Rookie to Trade Candidate
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Second-year guard Dalton Knecht has quickly become a focal point in trade chatter. The 24-year-old struggled in Summer League, averaging 10.3 points per game with a woeful 27.9 percent field-goal rate and 23.8 percent from three. Lakers head coach JJ Redick attributed the decline to overworking during the offseason:
“The guy did too much after the season. In Summer League, he was burnt out. He was coming in at 5 a.m., getting shots up, then doing two workouts with our staff and in the weight room,” Redick said.
Despite the setback, Redick emphasized Knecht’s progress in training camp: “We had our last conditioning run of the preseason today, and he beat everybody by a long way. He’s in phenomenal shape, he’s in a great spot mentally, and he’s played well throughout September.”
Still, with new additions like Jake LaRavia and Adou Thiero, Knecht may not have a guaranteed rotation spot. Analysts now see him as a potential trade chip to bolster the Lakers’ roster.
Now, with the season rapidly approaching, Knecht as a trade candidate is already being discussed.
“Dalton Knecht was almost banished to Charlotte midway through the 2024-25 NBA season for the Los Angeles Lakers. The second-year scorer may be able to avoid a fate so heinous this season, but it is tough to imagine him avoiding a trade altogether once Rob Pelinka gets going in 2025-26. Knecht had a brutal summer league with the Lakers. The 24-year-old averaged 10.3 points per game with horrendous shooting numbers, knocking down a woeful 27.9 percent from the field and 23.8 percent from beyond the arc,” Lake Show Life’s Syvatoslav Rovenchuk wrote.
Lakers Trade Rumors Targets: Andrew Wiggins
Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus outlined a potential multi-team deal to acquire Andrew Wiggins. The Lakers trade rumors sent Knecht, Rui Hachimura, and Maxi Kleber to the Heat and Nets, respectively, in exchange for Wiggins, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Drew Timme. Pincus highlighted Wiggins’ defensive impact:
“From a basketball perspective, the 30-year-old would step in as the team’s best perimeter defender. At 6’7″, he’d fill the role left by the departure of Dorian Finney-Smith,” Pincus wrote.
For the Heat, Knecht would provide a long-range shooting upgrade and a young asset on a team-friendly contract, giving Los Angeles a path to improve both defensively and offensively.
As the Lakers navigate early season rotations and roster limitations, Knecht’s future may hinge on a fresh start, while the organization looks to position itself as an immediate contender around Dončić and James.