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Lakers linked to Dalton Knecht-centered sign-and-trade for $46 million ex-Warriors NBA champion originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Los Angeles Lakers’ revamped roster is still a work in progress, as the franchise hopes to pair Luka Doncic with an ideal wing teammate who could provide consistent production as a starter or bench contributor.
According to ESPN’s Anthony Slater, the Lakers could consider executing a Dalton Knecht sign-and-trade for a former Golden State Warriors NBA champion forward to give Doncic more assistance on the perimeter.
“(Rob) Pelinka has remained in touch with Kuminga's agent, Aaron Turner, subtly improving their offer in recent days, league sources told ESPN, while reiterating to Kuminga his importance to what the Lakers are building around Doncic, a likely starting role and what the opportunity could do for his career,” Slater wrote Tuesday.
“They haven't jumped at it, believing there are still avenues to better deals as the offseason dominoes continue to fall. That could include sign-and-trade opportunities involving the (Atlanta) Hawks. Atlanta remains open to facilitating a move that would help Kuminga keep his Bird rights and get a contract he desires, but Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh would need to be incentivized to make such a move.”
“The Lakers have several contracts they could send out to generate a bigger offer — including those of Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht, and Jaden Hardy — but would presumably need to attach at least one of their remaining assets (three second-round picks, a 2032 first-round pick swap) to make that happen.”
It would be foolish to argue against the notion that Slater’s sign-and-trade idea would be the classic example of a win-win scenario. Remaining with the Lakers beyond the 2025-26 season won’t help advance Knecht’s NBA career, making it pivotal for him to depart the franchise this summer and start over with a different organization.
While the former Tennessee star likely wouldn’t thrive with the Hawks from the get-go in a hypothetical scenario, his long-term NBA outlook/development would be in a better spot than it currently is.
For the Lakers, they would land a 6-foot-7 energizer bunny in Kuminga, who could take a positive step forward with a Los Angeles squad that would likely do everything in their power to put him in a position to succeed.
In the perfect situation, Kuminga could morph into the contributor many thought he could be when he entered the NBA in 2021. Joining the Lakers could be exactly what the doctor ordered for the 12.2 points per game scorer, but a deal hasn’t materialized just yet.
More NBA news:
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- Luka Doncic sends clear message to Lakers on roster they can't afford to ignore
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