The second-year guard doesn’t have a clear spot in LA’s future.

Dalton Knecht’s tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers may have started off too strongly. I know that sounds odd, because the Lakers expected Knecht (who was 23 on draft night) to contribute immediately — and he did just that! But Knecht set an unrealistic expectation off the bat with a scorching month of November in which he averaged 13.6 points per game and shot 46% from 3-point range. Now, just a year removed, Knecht is a clear trade candidate who may not factor into the Lakers’ future plans.

That’s not fully his fault. Yes, Knecht has struggled on the court since that blistering debut, but it’s the position he plays (and how he plays it) that will be the main cause of his trade that grows more likely by the day. In fact, Knecht being a Laker past this year’s deadline would be a relative shock.

Knecht is a streaky, offensive-minded guard in a backcourt that features Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic. There are already questions (fair or not) about whether that backcourt will work due to defensive limitations; putting Knecht in the mix would exacerbate those problems.

Acquiring Marcus Smart over the offseason and playing Gabe Vincent regular minutes (before he suffered an injury) was another clear indicator of the type of player Rob Pelinka and JJ Redick want to surround Reaves and Doncic with; defensive-minded connectors. Knecht does not fit into that category, and that’s why his time with the Lakers is likely winding down not long after it began.

Dalton Knecht doesn’t have a clear role in Lakers’ future

Trade rumors in the NBA fall into a few different categories: some are pure speculation, some are based in truth but spin out of control, and some have real merit. Trade rumors about Dalton Knecht might be in their own category, though, because the Lakers technically already traded him — last year, they dealt Knecht to the Hornets in a deal for center Mark Williams that was eventually rescinded because of a failed physical from Williams.

So, we know the Lakers are willing to part with Knecht. The further away from that stellar introduction Knecht had last year, the more likely it becomes that he’ll be dealt to a team that has a clearer role for him. Preferably one that needs scoring pop in the backcourt; Portland makes sense off the top of my head (don’t aggregate this as a rumor, please), as does Orlando.I have not given up on Dalton Knecht yet; despite his limitations, he has enough offensive talent to carve out a role somewhere. But with a backcourt already set on offensive-minded guards, that “somewhere” does not appear to be Los Angeles. After such an impressive and promising (and unsustainable) start to his career, Knecht’s nearly inevitable departure will sting a bit.