Dalton

Knecht

Not only did Knecht make his Knicks debut on Wednesday, but the combination of Josh Hart (ankle) being out and the Knicks racing to a large lead meant the former first-round pick played during the first half. Knecht played just three minutes in the first half, but he was 2-of-2 from the field and scored five points. Knecht shouldn’t be rostered in redraft leagues, even with Wednesday’s stat line.

The Lakers waived Knecht, the 17th overall pick in the 2024 draft, on Monday after two underwhelming seasons in Los Angeles. He certainly had his moments with the Lakers, but inconsistent offensive production and defensive struggles led to the 6-foot-6 wing ultimately falling out of the rotation. While Knecht may not get the minutes to impact fantasy basketball in New York, the two-way deal gives him a chance to work his way back into the NBA full-time. To free up a spot for Knecht, the Knicks reportedly plan to waive Kevin McCullar Jr.

The 17th overall pick in the 2024 draft, Knecht was the subject of trade rumors ahead of the Lakers’ decision to waive him. The former Tennessee standout had his moments, most notably scoring a career-high 37 points against the Jazz during his rookie season. However, Knecht was inconsistent offensively and didn’t bring much defensively, ultimately leading the Lakers to move on and finalize their roster for the 2026-27 season. Managers in dynasty leagues rostering Knecht should not rush to drop him, as he could catch on with another team on a two-way contract.

Knecht hasn’t played much during his second season in the league, but he got the opportunity in the blowout win. He took advantage and stuffed the stat sheet, but he’ll likely be back on the bench for the playoffs. Still, this was a productive game for him, and it may lead to a team being interested in making a trade for him this offseason, which is the clearest path to him being a rotation player.

Knecht is good to go for Monday’s game, but he’s unlikely to get the minutes needed to affect fantasy basketball. He should only be rostered in dynasty leagues.

Knecht was absent from the initial injury report released by the Lakers on Sunday evening. His availability does not affect fantasy basketball, especially in the aftermath of the Lakers’ acquisition of Luke Kennard. Knecht should only be rostered in dynasty leagues.

According to McMenamin, Dončić had his inner thigh/groin area treated in the second half of Monday’s loss to the Kings, and his status for the second leg of the Lakers’ back-to-back set is uncertain. The Lakers have not yet submitted an injury report for Tuesday’s tilt with the Hawks, but LeBron James has not played both legs of a back-to-back this season, so his status is also in question. Los Angeles could be sorely undermanned, which would lead to the team picking up the slack in a committee approach, with guys like Dalton Knecht, Nick Smith Jr. and Gabe Vincent seeing increased run. The team will need to lean heavily on its available starters, which could mean monster usage for Rui Hachimura, Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia.

After scoring 30 points in Tuesday’s win over the Pelicans, James will sit out the second game of the Lakers’ road back-to-back. Dalton Knecht and Jarred Vanderbilt should play more minutes off the bench, with one likely moving into the starting lineup.

James is dealing with left foot joint arthritis and right sciatica, and he could be sidelined for the second leg of the Lakers’ back-to-back set after going for 30/8/8 in Tuesday’s win over New Orleans. If James is sidelined, more minutes could be available for Jarred Vanderbilt and Dalton Knecht.

Dončić will return following a one-game absence, and his return should mean reduced roles for Dalton Knecht, Nick Smith and Jake LaRavia. Not counting 2024 when he left early due to injury, Dončić has averaged 36.3 points, 10.3 assists and 6.3 rebounds across three career Christmas games.