Dalton Knecht hasn’t done himself any favors recently.
The 6-foot-5 Los Angeles Lakers guard endured an underwhelming Summer League in July after nearly getting traded to the Charlotte Hornets five months earlier.
With the Lakers hoping to make another move to improve their title odds, Knecht shouldn’t be comfortable with his status in Los Angeles.
In a hypothetical three-team trade idea created by Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus, the Lakers would send Knecht to the Miami Heat for a former All-Star and NBA champion forward.
“Using (Marc) Stein’s logic that the Lakers are willing to take on a longer salary, Wiggins only has one year left after this coming season,” Pincus wrote Wednesday.
“If he fits well, he could opt out and re-sign on a lower but longer annual deal. Or Los Angeles could use his expiring contract in a future deal.”
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“Knecht may not have a key rotation role with the team this season, especially after the free-agent signing of Jake LaRavia and draft acquisition of Adou Thiero.”
In Pincus’ multi-team trade concept, the Lakers would receive Wiggins, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Drew Timme, the Heat would receive Rui Hachimura, Knecht, and a $10 million trade exception, and the Brooklyn Nets would receive Maki Kleber, a 2026 protected Nets second-round pick, and $6.6 million from the Nets and Lakers.
Wiggins would be a solid addition to a Lakers squad that’s already added several assets to support Luka Doncic and LeBron James.
Wiggins, who won a championship with the Golden State Warriors in 2022, possesses the deep playoff experience, three-point stability, and quick-twitch downhill driving needed to assist a championship-contending franchise.
The 30-year-old forward averaged 18.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists with the Warriors and Heat last season, shooting 44.8% from the field and 37.4% from beyond the arc.
If Miami expresses interest in cutting ties with Wiggins, the Lakers should contact the Heat on his behalf immediately.
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