Image Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

“It felt like a movie”- Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht breaks silence after trade drama

Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht was back on the court Wednesday in Utah after the trade deal fell through because of Mark Williams.

Image Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht made his debut again against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday. Well, technically.

For those who are confused, here’s the backstory: On trade deadline day, the Lakers and Hornets reached an agreement for a trade involving Mark Williams. In exchange, the Lakers would send Cam Reddish, Dalton Knecht, and a 2031 first-round pick to Charlotte. However, the Lakers later rescinded the trade after Williams’ medical tests failed.

Dalton had already made the move to Charlotte, but he had to quickly return to Los Angeles after the trade fell through. He was ruled out for the Lakers’ home game against the Jazz on Monday due to “personal reasons.”

But Knecht was back on the court Wednesday in Utah, playing 17 minutes and scoring 10 points off the bench. After the game, he broke his silence on the wild 48 hours that had just passed, calling it “a crazy time” and joking that it “felt like a movie”.

“It was a crazy time, not too many people have done that coming back,” Knecht said. “At the end of the day, I just wanted to hoop, and that’s what I told JJ and Rob when I got back.”

Dalton Knecht’s first comments since the Hornets trade was rescinded and he came back to the Lakers pic.twitter.com/0MYLznO5cT
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) February 13, 2025

“I understand this is a business” – Dalton Knecht

While Dalton admitted that he was shocked to learn about him being traded but said that he understands that this was business move.

When he was asked about his conversations with Lakers GM Rob Pelinka and head coach JJ Redick on his return, the Lakers rookie said, “I just want to play.”

“I understand this is a business, so at the end of the day, I told them, ‘Let’s play basketball.’”

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Meanwhile, the Hornets have filed a dispute with the NBA over the Lakers’ assessment of Williams’ physical condition, trying to overturn the trade again. Knecht said he had no idea what the outcome might be. He’s just focused on playing.

“I just do what I love, go out and play,” Knecht said. “Whatever happens, happens. I’ll compete hard wherever it is, and hopefully that’s in L.A.”

If the Hornets win the dispute, Knecht could end up back with Charlotte. But for now, the 23-year-old will take part in the Rising Stars Challenge during All-Star Weekend.

Charlotte Hornets

Dalton Knecht

Los Angeles Lakers

Mark Williams

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I work as a content strategist, specializing in creating engaging content about the NBA, WNBA, and MLB. My main focus is on writing breaking news updates, research-based articles, and covering trending topics. Right now, I’m leading the content team for the NBA, WNBA, and MLB categories at Playoffs English.