The Los Angeles Lakers have a decision to make on Dalton Knecht, and they have until Halloween to make it. The team faces a contract deadline that could determine whether he stays in Los Angeles or gets cut. According to Lakers insider Trevor Lane, the team has until Oct. 31 to decide whether to pick up Knecht’s $6.4 million team option for next season. Last year, the Lakers exercised his $4.2 million option. This time, Lane says the outcome is far from certain.
Halloween deadline
“The Lakers have until Oct. 31 — Halloween, spooky time — to make a decision on Dalton Knecht and whether or not they want him under contract next year at $6.4 million,” Lane said, via Heavy. “Last year, they went ahead and picked up the $4.2 million team-option. My assumption is that if they had to make a decision right now, they would not pick up the $6.4 million team-option on Dalton Knecht.”
Lane laid out the stakes plainly. Knecht has between now and the deadline to change the front office’s mind. If he does not, the team could move on.
“He’s got between now and Halloween to change their mind,” Lane said. “I hope Dalton comes out and he is great (next season) and he turns it around. If he doesn’t, and the Lakers don’t pick up that team-option, he’s probably the clear candidate to get cut.”
What Knecht has shown
Knecht is not a bad player. That point comes up again and again when people talk about him. The problem is that the full package has not come together in a way that makes the Lakers confident in his future.
There is a version of Knecht that becomes a valuable rotation piece. That version of him is easy to picture. It just has not shown up consistently in Los Angeles.
He has yet to prove himself during his time with the Lakers. At some point, teams can’t keep going off hope.
The feeling around him is that there was always more there. That potential has not turned into production.
Limited assets
The Lakers have to make tough decisions over the next month and a half. There is reason to believe that if certain players step up a bit, they don’t have to move on from them. Right now, the Lakers have limited assets, at least in the simple sense of players they could trade.
That pressure makes Knecht’s situation more acute. He is not just competing against other players for minutes. He is competing against the team’s need for production.
The decision also has financial implications. Picking up the option locks in $6.4 million for next season. Declining it is a clear signal about Knecht’s future with the team.
What the decision comes down to
The situation is not unique to Knecht. Every year, teams face these decisions on young players whose careers have not quite taken off. The difference is that Knecht plays for the Lakers, where every move gets examined closely.
The team has about six weeks to figure out which way to go. That is not a long time in NBA terms, especially for a young player trying to establish himself. Every practice, every game, every moment counts.
Knecht will get his chance to answer the question the Lakers have about him. The coaching staff will be watching. The front office will be watching.
“He’s got between now and Halloween to change their mind,” Lane said.
That is the whole situation in one sentence. Knecht has a deadline, a number, and an opportunity. What he does with it is up to him.
The stakes for the Lakers
The Lakers are working with a narrow set of options. They do not have a deep well of tradeable players, so each roster decision carries extra weight. Keeping Knecht at $6.4 million is a commitment. Cutting him loose is also a commitment, because it means admitting the investment did not pay off.
Lane’s report suggests the Lakers are leaning one way, but Halloween is a long way off in NBA terms. Players change minds in practice. Knecht has the tools to contribute. He just has not proven he can do it reliably.
The next few weeks will tell the story. The time between now and the deadline will be Knecht’s chance to make his case. If he comes out aggressive and shows the coaching staff he can be trusted in meaningful minutes, the Lakers might decide the $6.4 million is worth it.
If he does not, the math gets simple. The Lakers save money, open a roster spot, and move on.
Lane’s assumption is that the team would decline the option if the decision were made today. That is a warning, not a verdict. Knecht controls his own fate between now and Oct. 31.
For Knecht, the message is clear. The team is not convinced yet. He has six weeks to change that. Halloween will come either way, and so will the decision.
The key facts in this situation:
- The Lakers have until Oct. 31 to decide on Knecht’s $6.4 million team option
- Last year, the team picked up his $4.2 million option
- Lane assumes the Lakers would decline the option if forced to decide today
- If the option is declined, Knecht is the clear candidate to get cut
- The Lakers have limited trade assets, making each decision more significant
Knecht has a real chance to change the outcome. The coaching staff will be watching. The front office will be watching. What he does with the next six weeks will determine whether Halloween brings a contract or a cut.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
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