JJ Redick was furious. As the Los Angeles Lakers seemed caught at the wrong end of the fire vs the Philadelphia 76ers in January (which the Lakers ultimately lost 118-104), the coach quickly called a timeout. He stormed onto the court, grabbed the ball, and started what could be described as a verbal assault on Dalton Knecht for a supposed mistake. “Timeout! Jesus f***ing Christ, it’s your f***ing play! It’s your f***ing play!” Redick shouted. Barely a month later, another storyline reared its head…

Knecht, who was picked 17th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, was reportedly set to be traded to the Charlotte Hornets alongside Cam Reddish, a future first-round pick, and a pick swap in exchange for Mark Williams. While the trade was rescinded just two days later “due to failure to satisfy a condition of the trade” (read: Williams failed his physical with the Lakers), it was clear that Redick’s team was ready to move on from Knecht. “It was a crazy time. Not too many people have done that, come back [after being traded]. But at the end of the day, I just wanted to hoop,” the player had remarked back then. What’s more?

Over the past few weeks, Knecht has been averaging 9.1 points off the bench, while shooting 46 percent from the field, 37.1 percent from beyond the arc, with a true shooting percentage of 59.2% this season. Yet, as the Lakers inch closer toward the NBA Playoffs, he has found it tougher to make it onto the court. Over his last six games, the 23-year-old has played just 6.3 minutes and posted 2.3 points per game on average. So, it’s only natural that many waited with bated breath for the ball to be dropped.

And, here’s the deal—Dalton Knecht didn’t play a single minute in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 116-123 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Thursday. Fans noticed. Reporters noticed. Pretty much everyone noticed (Of course they would notice, given the bench made only 9 points). So naturally, eyebrows started rising, heads tilted, and theories flew around about whether the Lakers were quietly pushing him out of the rotation. Enter JJ Redick, the man who’s been tossing out coaching vibes since day one. Ahead of tonight’s matchup vs the New Orleans Pelicans, he made things crystal clear…

Despite the brief benching, there’s zero indication that Dalton Knecht is being phased out. In fact, JJ Redick’s reassurance makes one thing clear—the Lakers still see Knecht as part of their long-term plans. As per The Athletic‘s senior NBA reporter Jovan Buha’s tweet on April 4, “JJ Redick said the Lakers haven’t lost faith in Dalton Knecht despite his decreased role recently and said Knecht will play tonight vs. New Orleans.” 

Whether it’s off the bench or in key rotation minutes, the young player’s combination of hustle, shooting, and sheer resilience has kept him firmly in the mix. And with the playoffs around the corner, don’t be surprised if his role gets even bigger when it matters most. After all, he’s made sure to bounce back in fashion…

Dalton Knecht’s redemption tour

While some players might’ve sulked or struggled after a trade-off failure, Dalton Knecht did the opposite. He straight-up earned his spot.

His 17-point night against the Bucks in March? Huge. Especially with stars like LeBron and Doncic out, Knecht didn’t just show up—he showed out. Games like that proved he’s more than just a throw-in on a trade sheet. He’s a guy who can step up when the team needs it most.

Let’s not forget the context here: the Lakers have been juggling injuries, lineup changes, and trying to make it all work with a new superstar in Luka Doncic. In that kind of chaos, having a reliable contributor off the bench like Knecht is gold. And with LeBron back in the lineup tonight and the Pelicans limping into the Crypto.com Arena without Zion or CJ, this could be a perfect bounce-back game—and a fresh chance for Dalton to remind everyone why he belongs.

So if you were worried that Knecht’s DNP last night meant something deeper, relax. JJ’s got your back. The rookie’s still very much in the mix, and with the playoffs creeping up, there’s a good chance he becomes even more important down the stretch.

Dalton Knecht’s journey with the Lakers has already been wild—and something tells us he’s just getting started.