Dalton Knecht Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lakers Notes: Schedule, LeBron, Bronny, Redick

March 22nd, 2025 at 8:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers were relieved to break even in an exhausting stretch of games over the past week, writes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. The devastating wildfires that hit Los Angeles in January caused several games to be postponed until later in the season. That resulted in the team playing six times in eight days, with three back-to-backs.

“Big picture … feel good that you go 3-3 in this stretch,” coach J.J. Redick said. “It was going to be tough no matter what. The added game made it harder. I don’t think the game that exists today in the NBA and the modern NBA player is like (built to do this). I wouldn’t be either if this was what I came up in and this was the game that I had to play every night. It’s different than when I first started. You’re not built to play six games in eight nights. The game doesn’t allow you to play six games in eight nights. It’s just impossible. That’s why we, I don’t think, have four in five anymore.”

L.A. played without four of its starters in Thursday’s loss to Milwaukee as Redick, whose team was already short-handed due to injuries, tried to avoid overworking anyone. That game was originally set for Tuesday, but it had to be rescheduled when a San Antonio matchup from January 11 was moved to Monday. Rookie wing Dalton Knecht and two-way guard Jordan Goodwin were the only Lakers to play in each of the last six games.

“What our guys just went through, it’s difficult,” Redick added. “And the old heads are gonna talk about how physical it was in the (1980s) and (1990s) and that’s fine. But the level of physicality in our game and the way that the court has to be covered and all the movement, it’s tough. And I’m just glad to be on the other side of it and hopefully going forward we are healthy and can make a push here.”

There’s more from Los Angeles:

LeBron James has been cleared to return for tonight’s contest against Chicago, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link). He sat out seven games with a groin injury he suffered two weeks ago. Rui Hachimura, who has missed the last 10 games with patellar tendinopathy, has also been upgraded to available, along with Luka Doncic, Dorian Finney-Smith, Austin Reaves, Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent, McMenamin adds (Twitter link).
Bronny James offered some evidence that he can succeed at the NBA level during Thursday’s game, McMenamin states in a full story. With nearly half the roster unavailable, Bronny played 30 minutes and finished with a season-high 17 points on 7-for-10 shooting, along with five assists, three rebounds and a blocked shot. “Not surprised by tonight,” Redick said. “I think his confidence is growing. … I think the next step is just becoming an elite-conditioned athlete. Because when (he) does that, with his physical tools and his burst and his handle — and we think he’s going to be an above-average to really good NBA shooter — he’s going to have a chance to really make an impact.”
Redick is proving he can handle the challenges of being an NBA head coach, contends Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register, who admits she was among the doubters when he was hired last June.

L.A. Notes: Leonard, Lue, Morris, Hayes

March 10th, 2025 at 11:01am CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers‘ prospects for an automatic playoff spot — or at least a better position in the play-in tournament — improved dramatically on one Kawhi Leonard shot Sunday night, writes Law Murray of The Athletic. Trailing by a point in overtime, Leonard held the ball for 15 seconds before making a move. He dribbled eight times, then launched his shot over a collapsing Kings defense. It bounced off the back of the rim and fell through the net to give the Clippers a 111-110 victory.

“Read the defense, got to a spot on the floor and was able to get a shot off,” said Leonard, who topped 40 minutes for the first time this season. “I wanted to play. I’m kind of capped on the minutes — 36 is a lot of minutes. But it was just about me just wanting to finish that game. They told me they were going to sit me for a minute and bring me back. So just itching to get back in and didn’t want to sit.”

It was the third straight victory for the Clippers, who are eighth in the West at 35-29, one game back of Golden State for the sixth spot. L.A. has rebounded from a 1-6 stretch immediately after the All-Star break and appears to be surging ahead of four upcoming games against sub-.500 opponents. The Clippers have now clinched the head-to-head tie-breaker against the Kings, who trail their division rivals by a game and a half at 33-30.

Although Norman Powell and Ben Simmons remained out for Sunday’s game, league sources tell Murray that they’re both making progress. Powell, who is sidelined with patellar tendinopathy in his left knee, will be reevaluated following a three-game road trip. Simmons, who is also dealing with a knee issue, may play during the trip.

There’s more on the two Los Angeles teams:

Clippers coach Tyronn Lue had to miss Sunday’s game due to back pain, according to an Associated Press report. Lue didn’t give any indication during his pregame media session that he wouldn’t be able to coach, and the team didn’t provide any other details. Assistant Brian Shaw replaced Lue for the night.
Markieff Morris has barely played since rejoining the Lakers last month, but he’s finding other ways to contribute, notes Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. The veteran forward has taken on a leadership role and was instrumental in helping Dalton Knecht regain his confidence after his trade to Charlotte was rescinded. “I missed (Morris),” LeBron James said. “… We’ve been in the foxhole together. We’ve been on the floor during big games together. And there’s someone whose opinion I value very much when I come off the floor. He’s watching it. He’s seeing it. I’m just happy to have him back. It’s great to see him.”
The Lakers will be without their entire starting front line for tonight’s game at Brooklyn. Center Jaxson Hayes has been ruled out on the team’s official injury report due to a contusion on his right knee. He joins James, who’s recovering from a groin injury he suffered Saturday night, and Rui Hachimura, who remains sidelined with patellar tendinopathy in his left knee.

Lakers Notes: Vincent, Luka, LeBron, Reaves, Jemison

March 7th, 2025 at 11:33am CST by Rory Maher

The Lakers rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit before ultimately prevailing in overtime during Thursday’s victory over the Knicks. Los Angeles has now won eight straight and 20 of its past 24 games.

As Dave McMenamin of ESPN writes, while Luka Doncic and LeBron James each recorded 30-point double-doubles, both superstars credited the team’s supporting cast for the comeback victory. Gabe Vincent, who was limited to just 11 games last season due to a knee injury, made three three-pointers late in the fourth quarter. Doncic said those timely shots “won the game.”

“It’s part of why I’m here,” Vincent said. “Part of why I’m here is what I’ve done at those moments late in the season. So just try and take the experience I’ve had and built and just try to continue to keep up with winning games.”

The Lakers also received important contributions from rookie forward Dalton Knecht (11 points, four rebounds), starting center Jaxson Hayes (eight points, five rebounds, three assists, two blocks) and backup center Trey Jemison (seven points, four rebounds), McMenamin notes.

“There’s no such thing as non-key players on this team,” James said. “Everybody is key. And everybody who steps on the floor has a role and they go in and match that. And I thought our bench gave us a great lift once again and Gabe was — I’ll single him out — he was spectacular. His play both on the defensive end and obviously his shooting, we needed it.”

Here’s more on the Lakers:

Jovan Buha and James L. Edwards III of The Athletic share their takeaways from Thursday’s matchup between the Lakers and Knicks. As we relayed in another story, the biggest news from the game was Knicks star Jalen Brunson suffering a right ankle injury in overtime.
He struggled in the game, going just 2-of-13 from the field in 32 minutes, but it was a positive development that Austin Reaves was able to return from a right calf strain, per Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group. Reaves had missed the past two contests with the injury. “The imaging we got kind of relieved any fears we had,” head coach JJ Redick said before Thursday’s game. “It’s just been more about him feeling comfortable and ready to play. He’s just had an overall great season. He’s been solid – more than solid. He’s been really good through each iteration of this team this season. And I think the more time that him, Bron and Luka could just all be on the court together and get comfortable is good for us going into this home stretch.”
Although it’s largely a coincidence, since they happened to sign him right when their hot streak began, the Lakers have yet to lose a game in which Jemison has appeared for them in 2024/25, tweets Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. Jemison, who is on a two-way contract, is a candidate to be promoted to the standard roster, as two-way players aren’t eligible for the postseason. The Lakers are now 13-0 when Jemison plays.

Lakers’ Knecht On Rescinded Trade: ‘It Felt Like A Movie’

February 13th, 2025 at 9:38pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to reporters after Wednesday’s loss to Utah for the first time since he was traded from the Lakers to the Hornets and then sent back to the Lakers when they decided to void the deal, Dalton Knecht said it was a “crazy” few days, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

“It felt like a movie,” the rookie forward said.

According to Knecht, he was called into Rob Pelinka‘s office last Wednesday, a day before the trade deadline, and was informed by the Lakers’ general manager that he was being sent to Charlotte along with Cam Reddish and draft assets in exchange for Mark Williams.

“It was hard,” Knecht said. “I got drafted here, so L.A. means a lot.”

Knecht initially flew from Los Angeles to Charlotte last Thursday and reported to his new team before flying to Detroit on Saturday ahead of the Hornets’ game vs. the Pistons on Sunday. While he was in Detroit, he heard from Pelinka again and learned that the deal had fallen through due to concerns about Williams’ physical. Knecht flew back to L.A. on Sunday and met up with Pelinka and head coach J.J. Redick on Monday.

“Rob called me and said, ‘You’re coming back,'” the 23-year-old said. “I was just excited to go out there and hoop, no matter where I was going. … I just want to go hoop. I told that to J.J. and Rob. I get it’s a business, so at the end of the day, I told them, ‘Let’s just go play basketball.'”

Knecht made the transition back to his former team smoothly enough, returning to the rotation on Wednesday and scoring 10 points while going 3-of-7 on three-pointers.

Williams, meanwhile, wasn’t active for Charlotte’s games on Sunday, Monday, or Wednesday, having been listed on the injury report as “not with team.” Reddish was inactive on Monday and Wednesday for the Lakers for “personal reasons” following the birth of his child (Twitter link via Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times).

The Hornets have reportedly been in touch with the NBA to inquire about disputing the Lakers’ assessment of Williams’ health. The league’s rules give teams autonomy to make their own decisions on physicals, so the idea of reversing the trade again figures to be a non-starter, but Knecht told reporters on Wednesday he has “no clue” how Charlotte’s challenge could play out.

“I’m just doing what I love to do, going out there and playing,” he said, per McMenamin. “Whatever happens, happens. I’m just going to compete hard wherever I go, and hopefully it’s L.A. Whatever happens, I’m just going to go out there and compete.”

Hornets Exploring Options To Dispute Lakers’ Decision To Nix Williams Deal

February 10th, 2025 at 9:48pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Hornets have been in contact with the NBA as they explore options to dispute the Lakers’ failed physical assessment of Mark Williams, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.

The Lakers rescinded the trade with Charlotte based on their medical assessment of Williams.

The Hornets agreed to part with Williams in exchange for rookie wing Dalton Knecht, forward Cam Reddish, the Lakers’ unprotected 2031 first-round pick and a 2030 first-round pick swap.

Although both teams announced the trade on Thursday, it remained conditional on Williams and Knecht reporting to their new teams and passing physicals. Since the trade deadline had passed, there was no avenue to amend the deal.

Los Angeles had looked at Williams as an ideal pick-and-roll partner for Luka Doncic, who reportedly urged the front office to find an upgrade at the center spot and “handpicked” the Hornets center as a target.

Meanwhile, the Hornets were in the awkward position of welcoming back Williams, which they did in a statement, while losing all the assets and players in the agreed-upon trade. Knecht and Reddish were also put in awkward spot of returning to a team that had just dealt them away.

The Lakers’ decision to nix the deal could also damage the future trade value of Williams, which would be another motivation for Charlotte to dispute those findings. Williams has only appeared in 85 games during his first two-and-a-half seasons in the league due to a variety of ailments.

Luka, LeBron Available To Play Monday For Lakers

February 10th, 2025 at 9:08pm CST by Rory Maher

9:08pm: The Lakers have listed Doncic and James as available, Marc Stein tweets.

3:52pm: Lakers superstars Luka Doncic and LeBron James have been upgraded to probable ahead of Monday’s game vs. Utah, tweets Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Both players were previously listed as questionable for Monday’s contest, which would mark Doncic’s Lakers debut.

Doncic, who was acquired on February 2 in a shocking trade with Dallas, has been out since December 25 due to a left calf strain. The Slovenian guard has appeared in 22 games this season (35.7 minutes), averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 7.8 assists and 2.0 steals per contest, with a shooting line of .464/.354/.767.

According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter video link), every seat in Crypto.com arena has Doncic’s No. 77 jersey draped over it. Obviously, that indicates that the five-time All-NBA member is on track to play.

James, who has been on a tear of late, averaging 31.2 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 9.8 APG and 1.0 SPG on .556/.448/.805 shooting over his past five games, missed Saturday’s win vs. Indiana due to left ankle soreness, but it appears as though he’ll be return to action tonight. The Lakers have won 11 of their past 13 games in no small part due to James’ strong play.

Rookie forward Dalton Knecht, who is back with the Lakers after they rescinded their trade for Mark Williams over his medicals, has also been upgraded to probable on Monday for personal reasons, per Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group (Twitter link). Cam Reddish, another player involved in the failed deal, is out for personal reasons, per the league’s official injury report.

Doncic, 25, announced through his foundation on Monday that he would be donating $500K to assist in the L.A. wildfire relief efforts (Twitter link).

“To everyone affected by these fires: we’re here to help, now and for the long haul,” the statement reads in part.

Lakers Rumors: Williams, Knecht, Sims, Len, Reddish, Wood, LeBron

February 10th, 2025 at 10:46am CST by Luke Adams

After acquiring Luka Doncic from Dallas at the start of trade deadline week, the Lakers targeted Hornets center Mark Williams in large part because he was “handpicked” by Doncic as the sort of big man Los Angeles’ new franchise player would thrive next to, reports Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

Team sources tell McMenamin that the Lakers viewed the 23-year-old Williams as the sort of player who could grow alongside Doncic in the long term while also fortifying L.A.’s frontcourt against Western rivals like Houston, Memphis, Denver, and Oklahoma City in the short term.

Before agreeing to trade for Williams on Wednesday night, the Lakers weighed whether he was worth the steep price it would take to acquire him, given his injury history, McMenamin writes. Head of basketball operations Rob Pelinka opted to pull the trigger, deciding on an “all in” approach to the deadline and agreeing to send Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, a 2031 first-round pick, and a 2030 pick swap to the Hornets for Williams.

As one Lakers source tells ESPN, Williams’ fit was viewed as a necessity on a roster lacking a starting-caliber center, while Knecht’s was considered a luxury, and the club wanted to establish “goodwill” with Doncic to get the relationship on the right foot. There was also some internal debate on how valuable the Lakers’ 2031 pick would end up actually being.

After making the deal with Charlotte, Pelinka expressed confidence when he talked about the deal on Thursday that Williams’ health wouldn’t be an issue going forward: “We fully vetted [Williams’] health stuff. He’s had no surgeries. So these are just parts of, he’s still growing into his body. We vetted the injuries he’s had, and we’re not concerned about those.”

However, after getting him into the building and conducting a physical, the Lakers identified additional concerns with Williams’ health and ultimately decided to pull out of the trade.

As McMenamin writes, there are some people within the Lakers who expressed relief that the deal didn’t end up going through — one team source said the package was “a lot” to give up for Williams and suggested the club “kind of dodged a bullet.” But the voiding of the trade meant that the Lakers failed in their first attempt to satisfy Doncic and will need to repair their relationship with Knecht, according to McMenamin, who adds that there’s a “perception of fumbled execution” based on how the process played out.

“Nobody did the research prior?” one league source said to ESPN. “Why would [Williams] be available that young?”

Here’s more on the Lakers:

The Lakers considered a trade for Knicks big man Jericho Sims before he was sent to Milwaukee and might have had interest in Alex Len, who has agreed to sign with Indiana after being waived by Washington, sources tell McMenamin. Neither big man would’ve been a clear upgrade on the club’s current options, but they’re two more depth options who are now off the board.
Although the Lakers have a full 15-man roster, they still have enough room below their second-apron hard cap to waive a player to bring in another big man. In that scenario, Reddish and Christian Wood would likely be the top candidates to be cut, Lakers sources tell ESPN. “We will find another center path,” a team source told McMenamin. “The path is always there. We just got to put in the work to find it.”
With Williams not coming to Los Angeles, Jaxson Hayes figures to continue starting at center for the Lakers. LeBron James had “privately wondered” whether the 24-year-old was experienced enough to take on that role down the stretch and in the playoffs, sources tell McMenamin. Hayes is off to a solid start — the Lakers have won each of his last seven starts, including all five games since Jan. 30. He also should have Doncic’s support. According to McMenamin, Hayes – who shares an agent, Bill Duffy, with the former Mavs star – was the first Laker to go out for dinner with Doncic after he arrived in L.A.
“When (Doncic) was in Dallas and I was in New Orleans my first few years, they kept trying to trade for me,” Hayes told McMenamin. “New Orleans never allowed it. He was like, ‘Do you remember when we couldn’t trade for you?’ I was like, ‘Do you remember what I told you after every game I played against you?’ After every game I would be like, ‘If you ever need a big, I would love to play with you.’ Just because of the way he moves the ball.”
It “wasn’t lost on James’ camp,” sources tell ESPN, that Pelinka sought Doncic’s input and pursued a trade target he wanted immediately after his arrival. For years, LeBron has wanted the Lakers’ to trade future draft picks to upgrade their roster, McMenamin notes.

Pacific Notes: Doncic, James, Knecht, Kings, Valanciunas, Bogdanovic

February 9th, 2025 at 9:19pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Luka Doncic could make his Lakers debut on Monday, Jovan Buha of The Athletic tweets. He’s listed as questionable due to the left calf strain that has sidelined him since Christmas Day. LeBron James (left ankle soreness) is also listed as questionable.

The same tag was given to Dalton Knecht (personal), who returned to the Lakers after their trade with Charlotte was rescinded. Cam Reddish, who was also in the voided trade, is listed as out.

In anticipation that Doncic will play, ESPN will broadcast the game against the Jazz, according to ESPN PR (Twitter link).

We have more from the Pacific Division:

The Kings added high-scoring wing Zach LaVine, center Jonas Valanciunas and young forward Jake LaRavia prior to the trade deadline. Interim coach Doug Christie is looking forward to figuring out his new rotation, he told Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee. “It’s a good problem to have,” Christie said. “I’m not complaining at all. Is it difficult? Yeah, a little bit because you’re trying to learn on the fly and that can be tough with guys trying to rind their rhythm — when do I go, plays, defense, coverages, all that stuff — but we’re not going to make excuses. The organization has done a hell of a job of getting us talent, and now it’s my job to figure out how to make it work and get us wins.”
Valanciunas, who is in the first year of a three-year, $30.3MM contract, is glad to join a playoff race with the Kings after spending the first half of the season with the Wizards. “It feels good,” Valanciunas told Anderson. “It feels like I belong here. I’m excited to be here, excited to jump on the court in a winning situation and do some damage.”
Bogdan Bogdanovic, acquired by the Clippers from Atlanta, is expected to make his Los Angeles debut on Wednesday, Joe Reedy of The Associated Press reports. He gives the Clippers another offensive option. “I’m good. I know probably a lot of you have been seeing a lot of stuff earlier before I got traded, some personal reasons out, but that’s part of the trade deadline,” Bogdanovic said. ”I’m ready. I’m in good shape and I’ll be ready for the next game.” The Clippers traded Terance Mann and Bones Hyland for Bogdanovic and three second-round draft picks. Bogdanovic’s contract includes a $16MM guaranteed salary for next season, followed by a 2026/27 club option.

Mark Williams Trade To Lakers Rescinded

February 8th, 2025 at 8:09pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers say their deal to acquire Mark Williams from the Hornets has been rescinded, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link). L.A. is claiming that Charlotte failed to satisfy one of the conditions of the trade.

Sources tell Charania that Williams failed his physical with the Lakers due to “multiple issues” (Twitter link). He adds that none of the concerns involve problems with Williams’ back, which caused him to miss most of last season.

With L.A. looking for help in the middle after sending Anthony Davis to Dallas in the Luka Doncic deal, the Hornets agreed to part with Williams in exchange for rookie wing Dalton Knecht, forward Cam Reddish, the Lakers’ unprotected 2031 first-round pick and a 2030 first-round pick swap.

Although both teams announced the trade on Thursday, it remained conditional on Williams and Knecht reporting to their new teams and passing physicals, notes Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link).

If the trade deadline hadn’t passed, the two teams could have gone back to the negotiating table, as the Sixers and Mavericks did after Dallas didn’t like Caleb Martin‘s physical. However, after the deadline, a trade can only be accepted or voided, not amended, so Williams will go back to Charlotte and Knecht and Reddish will return to L.A. along with the draft assets.

That means instead of having an opening, the Lakers now have a full 15-man roster and are $1.6MM below the second apron. The Hornets will have 14 players on standard contracts, along with Elfrid Payton, who signed a 10-day deal on Friday via the hardship exception.

Although the Lakers are 3-0 since giving up Davis, there are concerns about how the team will get by without a proven center who can rebound and protect the basket.

Jaxson Hayes has moved into the starting lineup over the past five games, and he had another solid outing today with nine points and 12 rebounds in 29 minutes in a victory over Indiana. Trey Jemison, who joined the team on a two-way contract last month, logged nearly 12 minutes off the bench and may see regular playing time for the rest of the season.

General manager Rob Pelinka thought he solved that problem when he reached the deal with Charlotte, valuing Williams highly enough to part with his last available first-round pick when there were more affordable centers on the market. Finding a long-term answer in the middle will likely be a top priority for Pelinka this offseason.

The Williams deal is the first NBA trade to be rescinded since the Pistons voided a deal with the Nuggets ahead of the 2022 trade deadline due to concerns about Bol Bol‘s physical.

Lakers Trade Knecht, Draft Assets To Hornets For Mark Williams

February 6th, 2025 at 11:49pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

FEBRUARY 6: The trade is official, the Lakers and Hornets have announced in a pair of press releases.

FEBRUARY 5: The Lakers have reportedly found their Anthony Davis replacement.

According to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), Los Angeles is acquiring Hornets center Mark Williams in exchange for rookie wing Dalton Knecht, forward Cam Reddish, the Lakers’ unprotected 2031 first-round pick, and a 2030 first-round pick swap.

The Lakers shook the basketball world when they landed five-time All-NBA superstar guard Luka Doncic from the Mavericks over the weekend along with big men Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris. Adding the reigning Western Conference Finals MVP cost the Lakers All-NBA Second Team center Davis, however.

With Kleber out indefinitely due to a broken foot, Los Angeles found itself badly in need of center depth to complement fill-in starter Jaxson Hayes.

While comments made this week by general manager Rob Pelinka suggested the Lakers may seek out a stop-gap option for the rest of the season and take a bigger swing in the summer, the front office instead took that swing now, surrendering a promising rookie in Knecht and two valuable future draft assets in order to land Williams.

The seven-footer out of Duke had been enjoying a breakout season with Charlotte in 2024/25. Williams is averaging 16.0 points, 9.8 boards, 2.5 dimes, 1.2 blocks and 0.7 steals per game in 22 healthy contests.

Williams has dealt with some health issues early in his career, including a back injury and a small fracture in his left foot, sources tell Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link), but the Lakers are confident about the 23-year-old’s medicals.

As McMenamin and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN outline (Twitter links), in his initial conversations with the Lakers, Doncic impressed upon their decision-makers how much it benefited him in Dallas to play with vertical lob threats like Dereck Lively and Daniel Gafford, prompting the Lakers to more aggressively pursue a young, athletic center rather than some of the older, slower bigs that had been on the club’s radar.

Lakers head coach J.J. Redick also has a connection to Williams, Shelburne notes (via Twitter), having done some mentoring of him at his alma mater of Duke.

Williams will be eligible for a rookie scale extension during the 2025 offseason. If he and the Lakers don’t agree to a deal at that point, he’d be a restricted free agent in 2026.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, the two-for-one deal will open up a standard roster spot for Los Angeles. The Lakers have several movable contracts still on their roster, though they no longer have any tradable first-round draft picks on hand. The team could end up using that open roster spot to go shopping on the buyout market, McMenamin suggests (via Twitter).

Knecht, meanwhile, has slowed down since a hot start to the season, but the 6’6″ Tennessee alum is having a solid rookie season and looks capable of developing into a regular rotation piece on the wing in Charlotte. He’s averaging 9.4 points per game on .465/.358/.825 shooting splits in 48 outings so far this season.

Reddish, whose inclusion was necessary for salary-matching purposes, is on an expiring minimum-salary contract. The former 10th overall pick is a solid defender, but has a limited offensive game. He’s averaging career lows in points (3.3) and minutes (18.1) per game in 31 appearances (eight starts) for the Lakers this season.

The Hornets will need to trade or waive a player from their 15-man roster in order to open up a spot for the extra incoming player. They’ve now moved both of their top two centers in recent weeks, having also sent Nick Richards to the Suns last month for a package primarily made up of future second-round picks.

Luke Adams contributed to this report.