Lakers’ Dalton Knecht brings about a clear and obvious question originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Los Angeles Lakers were drawn in by Dalton Knecht’s overall talent and athletic skillset.
He was a college star, and he got himself into the first round of the draft.
Knecht has not delivered in the NBA, though, and it has fans wondering about the things that got Knecht to this spot in the first place.
One key for Knecht, on paper, was that he stood out so much at the NBA Draft Combine. It didn’t necessarily raise his stock, but it affirmed what scouts thought they had seen out of his game in college.
It hasn’t worked out well, though, with this post summing it up:
Did these athletic tests result in athletic basketball play? https://t.co/F6IOuIHYis
— Mike Garcia (@CanyonDriver) May 17, 2026
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There is definitely plenty to consider about a player than his athletic numbers. For Knecht, who was an older player coming out of college, the NBA wanted to see that he wasn’t just production but also had potential professional upside.
The strong tests seemed to show that.
By the same token, front office folks don’t always trust those tests, so it’s hard to know the role they played.
I’d love to see the NBA change testing in the future. I’ve never spoken to a single executive that really cares about max vertical, shuttle run, etc. I’m sure they exist. I haven’t met them!
— Kevin O’Connor (@KevinOConnor) May 18, 2026
At the end of the day, multiple teams wanted Knecht, not just the Lakers.
But he hasn’t panned out, and when they’ve tried to trade him, it hasn’t gotten across the finish line.
Knecht seems likely just to go down as a bust.
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