Dalton Knecht’s first NBA season has been anything but ordinary. It’s been a wild ride: Nearly gotten traded before the deadline, and then unexpectedly staying with the Lakers. After weeks of trying to regain his footing, Lakers head coach JJ Redick gave some insight into what’s happening behind the scenes with the rookie. He addressed a viral video that had fans talking and confirmed some key private conversations.

Ever since Knecht came back from what was almost a trade to the Hornets on February 8, 2025, his role with the Lakers has been up in the air. His first game back? He didn’t even play. On February 11 against the Jazz, he sat on the bench, just taking it all in. It wasn’t about injury or conditioning—he just needed time to mentally reset. And Redick understood that.

“Yeah, there was a lot of discussion early on, when he first got back, not playing the first game. Didn’t want to put him in a tough situation for him.” But it wasn’t just one conversation and done. Redick kept checking in with him, making sure he was ready before easing him back in.”We then talked on Tuesday, we then talked on the day of the All-Star break again, and it was very much like before that second game against Utah, leading the break, it was very much just, let’s just play basketball, and you’re going to play, and I’m going to coach, and we’ve moved on from that.”

For Knecht, it wasn’t just about getting minutes—it was about getting his confidence back. And his performances since returning show that the process is working. Since the rescinded trade, Knecht has played in eight games, averaging 14.5 minutes per game while contributing 6.1 points and 1.7 rebounds. His best game came against the Clippers on March 2, when he dropped 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting in 25 minutes.

Redick made it clear that every player, no matter how talented, goes through moments like this.

“It just becomes, again, more normal,” Redick continued.“Certainly the last two games I think helped every player. We’ve all been there, we all have this sort of perpetual belief in our ability, everybody’s confidence can wane, and you need that confidence to be reinforced by playing well, and he’s done that the last two games. And it’s obviously offensively, but he’s done some good things defensively as well.” Nevertheless, it was not all rainbows and sunshine when it comes to Redick and Knecht’s interactions as the Lakers social media team came under fire for revealing too much!

Redick’s viral video sparks Lakers admin alert

Now, if that was all there was to the Knecht story, it would still be interesting. But there was another moment that set social media on fire. A video started making the rounds of Redick talking about Knecht after the Lakers’ 108-102 win over the Clippers. Redick was praising Knecht’s professionalism, pointing out how he stepped up in crucial moments despite not even being expected to play. Fans loved it, but the clip sparked a whole new conversation.

When Redick was asked about the video, he didn’t exactly clear things up. “Talk to the Lakers about what they’re putting out, need approval on some stuff.”

And just like that, people started reading between the lines. Was he annoyed with how the Lakers’ media team handled things? Was he just making sure the right message was getting out? No one really knows, but it definitely added another layer to Knecht’s already wild season. What is clear, though, is that Knecht has a real shot to carve out a bigger role for himself. The Lakers are rolling, sitting at 37-21, and if Knecht keeps showing up in big moments, Redick might have no choice but to give him more opportunities.

The whole media situation? That’ll probably blow over. But Dalton Knecht’s future in LA? That’s just getting started. From almost being shipped out to earning post-game praise from his coach, his rookie season has been anything but predictable. Now, the real question is—how big of a role will he play as the Lakers gear up for the playoffs?