After a rough start to his second season in the NBA, the Los Angeles Lakers sent former Tennessee basketball star Dalton Knecht to the G-League. With the opportunity to play a lot more than he has been, he made the most of it.
On Tuesday, he scored 30 points on 10-for-17 shooting from the field, 6-for-10 on threes, with five rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block. He also threw down a posterizing dunk for the highlight of the game. The South Bay Lakers defeated the San Diego Clippers 127-118 in the matchup.
In the NBA, Knecht has played in 20 games and made one start. He’s averaging 6.4 points, 1.9 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game on 47.1% shooting from the field and 36.2% on 3-pointers.
Dalton with AUTHORITY 💥#SBLakers pic.twitter.com/N1zitRYdX0
— South Bay Lakers (@SouthBayLakers) December 17, 2025
More From RTI: Tennessee Earns Statement Win Over Louisville | Ranking Top Teams & Top Conferences | RTI Rim Runner
As a rookie, Knecht played in 78 games and started in 16 for the Lakers. He averaged 9.1 points on 46.1% field goal shooting and 37.6% on deep balls. He was dealt to the Hornets at the trade deadline, but a separate piece of the trade failed the following physical, which vetoed the trade. This kept Knecht in Los Angeles, where he remains to this point.
However, Knecht has become a popular piece in projected trade deadline moves. He’s still a young shooter with a positive upside that plenty of teams could want to take a swing at. His move to the G-League could result in his stock being raised as a trade piece if he continues to play at the level he did on Tuesday night, as well.
At Tennessee, Knecht played just one season but made the absolute most of it. In a year where he won SEC Player of the Year and was a consensus All-American, he averaged 21.7 points per game on 45.8% shooting from the floor and 39.7% on threes. He also averaged 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.
