The Los Angeles Lakers waived Dalton Knecht, their 2024 first-round pick, on Monday. The team had 16 players under contract and needed to cut to the 15-man maximum by the 5 p.m. ET deadline.

The Lakers tried to trade Knecht and another player for an additional big man, league sources told ESPN, but could not find a deal before the deadline.

The Lakers drafted the 6-foot-6 wing 17th overall in 2024 out of Tennessee. Knecht started fast as a rookie, averaging 18.9 points on 55.4% shooting and 52.2% from three over a nine-game stretch in November.

Knecht finished his rookie season averaging 9.1 points and 2.8 rebounds in 78 games. Last season, his minutes fell to 10.2 per game and he averaged 4.2 points in 54 games. He averaged 2.8 points on 25% shooting in four preseason games this month.

In February 2025, the Lakers traded Knecht, Cam Reddish, a 2031 unprotected first-round pick and a 2030 pick swap to the Charlotte Hornets for Mark Williams. The deal was rescinded after Williams failed his physical.

JJ Redick said last week that changes to the roster hurt Knecht's chances.

"I think the biggest thing is the team changed," said Redick. "The team changed. The needs changed, the fit changed. I think he got better as a player over the last two years. I think each guy has, particularly last year, each guy got plenty of opportunities with the amount of injuries we had. So, I just think coming into this year, we added a lot of wings and he's in a tough spot right now."