Waived By The Lakers On Monday, Dalton Knecht Signs With The Champion Knicks

Dalton Knecht has a new team. His agents at Excel Sports Management told ESPN’s Shams Charania on Friday that Knecht will sign a two-way contract with the New York Knicks, the defending NBA champions. There were no published quotes from Knecht or the Knicks — the confirmation came from his agents.

The Lakers waived Knecht on Monday after failing to find a trade for him. It was a roster-crunch cut at the 15-man limit: Los Angeles kept Bronny James and Jaden Hardy instead. Knecht cleared waivers unclaimed before signing. Charania reported interest from Cleveland, Sacramento and Minnesota, and Toronto was also mentioned as a possible two-way destination.

To open the two-way slot, New York waives guard Kevin McCullar Jr., per SNY’s Ian Begley and HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto. The Knicks’ two-way contracts now belong to Knecht, Jaden Akins and Tyler Nickel. A two-way deal does not use a standard roster spot: Knecht will split time between the Knicks and their G League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks, and can be active for up to 50 NBA games.

Knecht, 25, is a 6-foot-6 wing from Tennessee whom the Lakers drafted 17th overall in 2024. As a rookie he played 78 games and averaged 9.1 points, shooting 37.6 percent from three. In his second season he fell out of coach JJ Redick’s rotation, averaging 4.2 points in 10.2 minutes over 54 games.

His Lakers tenure is best remembered for a trade that did not happen: in February 2025, Los Angeles dealt Knecht to Charlotte for center Mark Williams, then rescinded the trade after Williams’s physical, sending Knecht back to the Lakers for the rest of his time there.