Dalton Knecht’s head must still be spinning after a wild week that saw him traded from the Lakers to the Hornets – and then suddenly back to Los Angeles when the deal fell apart.
The 23-year-old rookie was all smiles Wednesday night, sporting Lakers purple and gold once again.
“It felt like a movie,” Knecht said after dropping 10 points in 17 minutes during the Lakers’ 131-119 loss to the Jazz. “It was a crazy time.”
The drama started February 5th during a routine practice. Knecht was going through his usual shooting drills when Lakers GM Rob Pelinka called him into his office. The news? He was headed to Charlotte along with Cam Reddish and some future draft picks in exchange for Mark Williams.
What followed was a whirlwind tour across the country.
First, he flew from LA to North Carolina. Then it was off to Detroit for what was supposed to be his first game as a Hornet. But basketball had other plans.
“Rob called me and said, ‘You’re coming back,'” Knecht recalled of that surprising Saturday phone call in Michigan. The trade had been rescinded.
For the rookie who was drafted by the Lakers, the return to Los Angeles meant more than just coming back to a team. “I got drafted here, so L.A. means a lot,” he said.
By Monday morning, Knecht was back in Pelinka’s office – this time with a mature perspective on the business of basketball.
“I just want to go hoop. I told that to JJ and Rob,” he said. “I get it’s a business, so at the end of the day, I told them, ‘Let’s just go play basketball.'”
Despite all the airport hopping and uncertainty, Knecht seems ready to put the drama behind him and focus on what matters most – playing the game he loves, right back where he started.
