Dalton Knecht Named in Lakers Trade Report on Saturday
Dalton Knecht Named in Lakers Trade Report on Saturday originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Los Angeles Lakers continue to explore ways to strengthen their roster this offseason as they look to build a more balanced group around LeBron James and Luka Doncic. Following an early playoff exit, the front office has prioritized adding size and rim protection to complement their star duo while working around limited cap flexibility.
Advertisement
One area that remains a clear focus is at center. Los Angeles has struggled with consistent interior defense over the past two seasons, often relying on smaller lineups that left them vulnerable against bigger frontcourts. The team nearly traded rookie wing Dalton Knecht for center Mark Williams at the deadline, but rescinded the deal after failing Williams on his physical.
Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James (23) and Dalton Knecht (4).Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
In a new report on Saturday from ESPN's Dave McMenamin, Knecht was again named as a positive trade asset Los Angeles can use to upgrade areas of need on the roster, particularly at center.
"On the trade market, Dalton Knecht and the Lakers' 2031 first-rounder will continue to be positive assets the Lakers can include in offers, as well as the expiring contracts of Rui Hachimura ($18.3 million), Gabe Vincent ($11.5 million) and Maxi Kleber ($11 million) as Pelinka searches for a center," he wrote.
McMenamin named Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler as a player LA has shown interest in, but mentioned the asking price had previously been too steep. Last season, the 23-year-old averaged 11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks in 58 games, offering Utah a cost-controlled anchor under contract through 2026.
Advertisement
As for Knecht, it seems the Lakers like their 2024 first round pick, but understand he may be a necessary trade asset to bring back a center.
Related: Lakers Fans Upset After LeBron James' Reported Career Decision
Related: New Report Says 'Mystery' Surrounds Luka Doncic's Lakers Decision
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
31 minutes ago
- New York Times
LeBron James exercises player option, remaining with Lakers for 23rd NBA season: Source
After 22 seasons, LeBron James can finally check off a new first — opting into the final year of his contract. James, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, exercised his $52.6 million player option to remain with the Los Angeles Lakers for the 2025-26 season, a league source told The Athletic. The decision deadline was Sunday. After turning 40 in December, James' choice is notable as there is no guarantee about what comes after this upcoming campaign. He could choose to retire, a possibility he has publicly acknowledged. Advertisement James is perhaps the godfather of NBA player empowerment, leading a movement of players seeking shorter deals with player options to maximize earning potential, maintain flexibility and apply pressure on front offices. Dating back to James' six-year deal with the Miami Heat signed in 2010, which had an out clause after four seasons, Sunday's decision marks the first time he has not utilized a mechanism in his contract to become a free agent. With his age and after recovering from a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee sustained in the Lakers' final playoff game, realistically, there wasn't much of a market outside of Los Angeles for James to get a new contract worth what the Lakers will pay him this season. Additionally, James' son Bronny is entering his second season with Los Angeles, and it is fair to question if the elder James would willingly walk away from playing with Bronny. This past season, James played 70 games and earned All-NBA Second Team honors. He averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game, shooting 37.6 percent from 3 and a career-best 78.2 percent from the free-throw line. Following the Lakers' first-round playoff elimination, James was asked how much longer he wanted to play. 'I don't know. I don't have an answer to that,' he said. 'Something I sit down with my family, my wife and my support group and kind of just talk through it and see what happens. And just have a conversation with myself on how long I want to continue to play. I don't know the answer to that right now, to be honest.' James has held major sway in the Lakers organization since joining in 2018 and leading the franchise to its 17th championship in 2020 alongside Anthony Davis, who is also represented by agent Rich Paul and joined James after forcing a trade from New Orleans in 2019. The Lakers traded for and later dealt away Russell Westbrook under pressure from James. And on opening night last October, LeBron and Bronny became the first father-son duo to share a court as teammates, which LeBron called 'one of the most gratifying, satisfying journeys I've ever been on.' Advertisement But the Lakers are entering a period of tremendous change. In February, the team shocked the NBA — and James — by trading Davis for Luka Dončić, acquiring a new focal point for the organization's on-court identity. And in June, Jeanie Buss agreed to sell controlling interest in the franchise to Mark Walter at a $10.1 billion valuation price. Following the season, Lakers vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka said he envisioned James, Dončić and Austin Reaves as the core of the team. 'I think when you get those three pillars in a training camp environment and you're starting to build an ethos around them, that's a great starting point,' Pelinka said. 'And we didn't have that opportunity this year, but we will next year.' Dončić can sign a long-term extension with the Lakers on Aug. 2. As for James' history as a trailblazer for NBA contracts, he infamously left Cleveland as a free agent in the summer of 2010. But to help the Cavs recoup some assets in his departure, he signed a six-year deal with them as part of a sign-and-trade deal with the Heat. He led Miami to four finals — and two titles — but after a loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the 2014 finals, he exercised the early termination clause in his contract so he could return to northeast Ohio. In four seasons with Cleveland after leaving the Heat, James signed three contracts, all with player options that he declined. The first two times he declined his option with the Cavs, he never really threatened to leave as a free agent, but he held the specter of another potential departure over the heads of management so the team would show it remained committed to winning. After Cleveland won its first-ever championship in 2016, James signed the longest of his three deals with the Cavs in that era — a two-year contract with a player's option for a third year to be exercised in the summer of 2018. James declined that option before leaving as a free agent for the Lakers that summer. Advertisement James' first contract with the Lakers was for four years and $153.5 million, which he extended by two years and for another $86 million prior to the 2020-21 season. He signed another extension in 2022 for two years and $99 million, with a player's option, and declined that option last summer to sign his current deal — for two years and $101 million with the player's option he just exercised, a non-trade clause and a 15 percent trade kicker on the value of his contract if he were to accept a trade. James recently returned to on-court activity following his knee sprain.
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
UFC 317 post-event facts: Ilia Topuria raises bar for two-division title club
The UFC's 13th annual International Fight Week was one of the best yet with UFC 317 delivering in spades essentially from beginning to end. Title fights atop the card stole the show, with Ilia Topuria (17-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) making history as new lightweight champion courtesy of a first-round knockout of Charles Oliveira (35-11 MMA, 23-11 UFC), while Alexandre Pantoja (30-5 MMA, 14-3 UFC) continued to etch his name in the record books with a third-round submission of Kai Kara-France (25-12 MMA, 8-5 UFC) to defend flyweight gold. Advertisement Records were set across the board at UFC 317, and for more on the numbers, check out MMA Junkie's post-event facts. Event stats The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $298,500. Topuria, Joshua Van, Brandon Royval and Gregor Rodrigues earned $50,000 UFC 317 fight-night bonuses. Debuting fighters went 0-1 on the card. UFC 317 drew an announced attendance of 19,800 for a live gate of $11,320,291. Betting favorites went 8-3 on the card. Betting favorites improved to 14-8 in UFC headliners this year. Total fight time for the 11-bout card was 1:44:07. Ilia Topuria def. Charles Oliveira Topuria became the 10th fighter in UFC history to win titles in two weight classes. Advertisement Topuria became the first in UFC history to win titles in two weight classes with an undefeated record. Topuria has earned 15 of his 17 career victories by stoppage. Oliveira fell to 2-3 in his past five fights dating back to October 2022. Oliveira fell to 14-4 since he returned to the UFC lightweight division April 2017. He's 16-6 with one no contest in the organization at 155 pounds. Oliveira has suffered nine of his 11 career losses by stoppage. Alexandre Pantoja def. Kai Kara-France Pantoja's four UFC title defenses are most among current champions. Pantoja's five victories in UFC flyweight championship fights are second-most in divisional history behind Demetrious Johnson (12). Advertisement Pantoja's 14 victories in UFC flyweight competition are most in divisional history. Pantoja's eight-fight UFC winning streak at flyweight is the longest active streak in the division. Pantoja's eight stoppage victories in UFC flyweight competition are most in divisional history. Pantoja's five submission victories in UFC flyweight competition are most in divisional history. Kara-France has suffered seven of his 11 career losses by stoppage. Joshua Van def. Brandon Royval Van's (15-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) five-fight UFC winning streak at flyweight is the second-longest active streak in the division behind Pantoja (eight). Advertisement Van has earned six of his eight UFC victories by decision. Van and Royval (17-8 MMA, 7-4 UFC) combined for 419 significant strikes landed, a new all-time record for most in a three-fight UFC fight. Van and Royval combined for 419 significant strikes landed, the most in UFC flyweight history and third-most all-time a single UFC fight. Van landed 215 significant strikes landed and Royval landed 204 significant strikes landed, marking the first time in UFC history where two fighters have had 200 significant strikes more in a single fight. Royval has suffered six of his eight career losses by decision. Advertisement Royval's five Fight of the Night bonuses for UFC flyweight bouts are most in divisional history. Beneil Dariush def. Renato Moicano Beneil Dariush (23-6-1 MMA, 17-6-1 UFC) 17 victories in UFC lightweight competition are tied with Donald Cerrone for second-most in divisional history behind Jim Miller (24). Renato Moicano (20-7-1 MMA, 12-7 UFC) fell to 7-3 since he moved up to the UFC lightweight division in March 2020. Payton Talbott def. Felipe Lima Payton Talbott (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) rebounded from the first loss of his career in January. Felipe Lima (14-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) had his 14-fight winning streak snapped for his first defeat since his MMA debut in August 2015. Advertisement Lima suffered the first decision loss of his career. Gregory Rodrigues def. Jack Hermansson Rodrigues (17-6 MMA, 8-3 UFC) has earned 14 of his 17 career victories by stoppage. Jack Hermansson (24-9 MMA, 11-7 UFC) has suffered five of his seven UFC losses by stoppage. Jose Delgado def. Hyder Amil Jose Delgado (10-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has earned all 10 of his career victories by stoppage. Hyder Amil (11-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) had his 11-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of his career. Tracy Cortez def. Viviane Araujo Tracy Cortez (12-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) improved to 4-1 since she dropped to the UFC women's flyweight division in April 2021. Advertisement Cortez has earned nine of her 11 career victories by decision. That includes all six of her UFC wins. Viviane Araujo (13-7 MMA, 7-6 UFC) has suffered all six of her UFC losses by decision. Terrance McKinney def. Viacheslav Borshchev Terrance McKinney (17-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC) has earned all 17 of his career victories by stoppage. He's finished 16 of those wins in Round 1. McKinney has earned all seven of his UFC victories by first-round stoppage. McKinney's seven first-round stoppage victories since 2021 in UFC competition are most among active fighters in the company. McKinney became the 15th fighter in UFC history to earn a knockout victory and a submission victory in 60 seconds or less each. Advertisement Viacheslav Borshchev (8-6-1 MMA, 3-5-1 UFC) has suffered both of his career stoppage losses by submission. Jacobe Smith def. Niko Price Jacobe Smith (11-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has earned nine of his 11 career victories by stoppage. Smith earned the first submission victory of his career. Niko Price (16-9 MMA, 8-9 UFC) has suffered seven of his nine career losses by stoppage. Jhonata Diniz def. Alvin Hines Jhonata Diniz (9-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) earned just the second decision victory of his career. Alvin Hines (7-1 MMA, 0- 1 UFC) had his seven-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of his career. UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on X @MJCflipdascript. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC 317 post-event facts: Ilia Topuria sets bar for 2-division champs
Newsweek
31 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Lakers Superstar LeBron James Reveals His Future Plans in LA
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has revealed his future plans for the 2025-26 season. ESPN's Shams Charania shared that James will opt into his $52.6 million player option for the upcoming season. LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on against the Minnesota Timberwolves prior to the start of the first quarter of Game Four of the First Round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs... LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on against the Minnesota Timberwolves prior to the start of the first quarter of Game Four of the First Round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center on April 27, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves defeated the Lakers 116-113 to take a 3-1 series lead. More Photo byBreaking: Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James is opting into his $52.6 million player option for the 2025-26 season, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul told ESPN. Paul adds: LeBron "knows the Lakers are building for the future ... but he values a realistic chance of winning it all." — Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2025 James' agent, Rich Paul, CEO of Klutch Sports, shared this statement with ESPN. "LeBron wants to compete for a championship," Paul told ESPN. "He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we've had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career. "We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what's best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career. He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what's best for him." This story will be updated....
