Los Angeles Lakers fans thought they had a steal with Dalton Knecht early in his career, but his diminished value could see the young wing dumped on the doorstep of the Golden State Warriors in a Jonathan Kuminga trade.
Knect wouldn't be the primary piece returning to the Warriors in a deal, but he could nevertheless be included as the Lakers show surpriseing interest in Kuminga leading up to the February 5 trade deadline.
Lakers could dump Dalton Knecht to the Warriors in Jonathan Kuminga trade
Amid the Lakers reported interest in Kuminga, Sam Quinn of CBS Sports proposed on Thursday that a deal could include Rui Hachimura and Knecht in order to match Kuminga's $22.5 million salary.
Despite being taken with the 17th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Knecht doesn't really add value to any trade at this point. The 24-year-old's numbers have dropped from 9.1 to 5.1 points per game this season, while his 3-point percentage has slipped from 37.6% to a paltry 31.1%.
Los Angeles already tried to trade Knecht before last season's deadline, sending him to the Charlotte Hornets in a deal for Mark Williams before the move was rescinded as the big man failed his physical with the Lakers.
I have no great objection if it's just, like, Rui and Knecht for Kuminga. This season is a lost cause. Take the 5% swing on Kuminga's talent, see if you like him and want him back next year. If you're giving up anything real, no way. https://t.co/wEdADgsaZW
— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) January 15, 2026
While Knecht might be of little interest to Golden State and may be simply included for salary-matching reasons, the idea of a Kuminga-Hachimura swap is interesting, albeit doesn't feel like the significant move the franchise needs to be a more significant threat come playoff time.
Hachimura is averaging 12.5 points and 3.7 rebounds this season, shooting a highly efficient 51.9% from the floor and 44.2% from 3-point range. He'd give the Warriors another front court option with size, something they need to prioritize in a Kuminga trade.
Why would the Lakers flip Hachimura for Kuminga though, particularly when they're a playoff team still battling for home-court advantage? Perhaps they believe they can unlock Kuminga's potential, while also viewing Hachimura as a player who won't be part of their future.
Part of the reasoning likely stems from Hachimura being on an expiring contract, something that could appeal to Golden State according to ESPN's Shams Charania and Anthony Slater on Thursday.
It still feels like the Warriors should be targeting a more high upside piece that requires them to give up draft capital, but if worse comes to worse a combination of Hachimura and Knecht is a deal they may very well make in the hours before the deadline.