2026-27 projection
| GP | MPG* | FG% (FGA) | FT% (FTA) | 3PM | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | 9 | .445 (3.6) | .750 (0.5) | 0.8 | 4.3 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.4 |
*MPG is the expected workload when he appears; Knecht receives zero of the fixed 240 healthy-night minutes.
- Healthy-night role: Outside the base rotation.
- 9-category: Emergency three-point streamer only when promoted.
- Points leagues: Off standard draft boards.
- Dynasty: Deep-league hold whose value needs a clearer path on this roster or elsewhere.
Projection logic
Knecht averaged 4.2 points, 1.4 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 0.2 steals, and 0.7 threes in 10.2 minutes over 54 games in 2025-26, shooting .455 from the field. His shooting translates, but the low defensive and playmaking rates make minutes difficult to earn behind Quentin Grimes, Jake LaRavia, Ziaire Williams, and Cameron Carr. The 35-game median reflects spot appearances rather than an assumption that he disappeared as a shooter. ESPN player statistics
Redraft, dynasty, and scenarios
- Median: A situational floor spacer with intermittent active-roster nights.
- Ceiling: A trade or wing injuries create 20 minutes, producing roughly two threes and double-digit points.
- Floor: Carr overtakes him developmentally and Knecht spends most competitive games outside the rotation.
- Draft stance: Undrafted in standard formats; use only when starting-lineup news creates a clear volume window.
- Dynasty: Hold in 20-team leagues if the cost is negligible; otherwise use the spot on a player with defensive or playmaking upside.
Confidence
- Roster: High — listed by the Lakers.
- Minutes: Low — no base rotation allocation.
- Rates: Medium — shooting is stable, but sparse appearances can make percentages volatile.
Sources
Career record
Pre-NBA: Five-year climb. Northeastern Junior College 2019-20 (13.3 PPG) and 2020-21 (23.9 PPG, 7.5 RPG); Northern Colorado 2021-22 (8.9 PPG) and 2022-23 (20.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG, led the Big Sky); Tennessee 2023-24 (36 GP, 21.7 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.8 APG) — SEC Player of the Year, consensus first-team All-American, Julius Erving Award. Draft: 2024, round 1, pick 17, Los Angeles Lakers.
| Season | Age | Team | GP | MPG | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG% | FT% | TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 23 | LAL | 78 | 19.2 | 9.1 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 1.6 | .461 | .762 | 0.5 |
| 2025-26 | 24 | LAL | 54 | 10.2 | 4.2 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.7 | .455 | .727 | 0.4 |
| Career | LAL | 132 | 15.5 | 7.1 | 2.2 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 1.3 | .460 | .755 | 0.5 |
Durability: 78 of 82 as a rookie; the 2025-26 drop to 54 games was rotation status (DNP-CDs), not injury. He was traded to Charlotte in February 2025 and returned two days later when the deal was rescinded on Mark Williams' failed physical.
Trajectory: The arc is a warning: a 78-game rookie season with 1.6 threes at .376-level efficiency collapsed to 10 minutes a night in year two as the Lakers prioritized two-way wings. The shooting held (.455 FG both years); the minutes did not, which says the league doubts everything else. For 2026-27 he competes with Grimes, LaRavia, Ziaire Williams and Carr for spot wing minutes. He becomes fantasy-relevant if a trade or injury cluster restores 20+ MPG, where his rookie season shows the payoff is immediate: roughly 10 points and 2 threes with decent percentages and nothing else.
Career sources: StatMuse career by season · StatMuse career averages · Wikipedia · ESPN player statistics
Open questions
- Is Knecht still on the Lakers after the final camp transaction window?
- Has his team defense improved enough to make his shooting playable in a regular role?