Lakers predicted to ties with Dalton Knecht, acquire $112 million Pelicans star

“In this scenario (Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones and Yves Missi to the Lakers for Jarred Vanderbilt, Jake LaRavia, Adou Thiero, Dalton Knecht, a 2026 No. 25, a 2031 first-rounder, and a 2033 first-rounder) Los Angeles gets a talented, young scoring forward in Murphy, a strong perimeter defender in Jones (who, outside of one strong season, is an inconsistent shooter) and a young center to develop in Missi.”

Murphy and Knecht are on opposite trajectories. Murphy has emerged as one of the best two-way assets over the past two seasons, regardless of age. The Virginia product’s fluidity on the move, dependable transition scoring ability, consistent long-range jump shot, and advanced perimeter defense have contributed to his rise to stardom in the big leagues.

Murphy averaged 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per game with the Pelicans this season, shooting 47.0% from the field and 37.9% from beyond the arc.

Conversely, Knecht is well on his way to departing the Lakers after two years. The Tennessee product hasn’t proven he’s a wing who deserves consistent minutes in Los Angeles, making him more of a spectator than an active participant.

Knecht averaged 4.2 points per game while shooting 45.5% from the field and 34.2% from three in 54 games with the Lakers in his sophomore campaign.

Needless to say, a Murphy-Knecht swap would help the Lakers in more ways than one.

More NBA news:

• Lakers predicted to cut ties with LeBron James, acquire $91 million Cavaliers All-Star
• Warriors predicted to make NBA-altering sign-and-trade for $101 million Lakers 22-time All-Star
• Lakers predicted to cut ties with Dalton Knecht, acquire $175 million two-time MVP