There is a perception around the league that the Los Angeles Lakers view Dalton Knecht as a player to include in a future trade. Jovan Buha of The Athletic stated on July 20th that Knecht’s trade value has decreased after his 2025 summer league performance.
“Summer League has not helped Knecht’s stock, and I don’t think at this point he is valued as a first-round pick, in terms of an asset valuation. That was what I heard in Vegas from talking to multiple people, non-Lakers people, just gauging what would you give for Dalton Knecht? Or if the Lakers are putting Dalton Knecht in a trade, what is he worth? And the feedback I got was, no longer worth a first-round valuation.”
Although Dalton Knecht performed poorly at summer league, averaging 11.6 points, shooting 32.1% from the field on 13.5 attempts per game. The conversation about trading Knecht is stupid, as he is an ideal complementary player for Luka Dončić.
How Luka Dončić’s Playing Style Shapes His Teammates’ Roles
Throughout his NBA career, Luka Dončić has been a ball-dominant player, averaging 88.8 touches per game, ranking in the top ten in the league. He uses these touches to focus on two different play types, isolation and the pick-and-roll.
Luka Dončić has spent 39% of his offensive possessions in the pick and roll, averaging 10.9 per game. Dončić’s second favorite play type has been isolations. The play type accounts for 18.6% of his offensive possessions as he averages 5.3 per game.
Mavs vs Nets
Luka Dončić uses these play types as a vehicle to get a switch to force a worse defender to guard him. On October 27th, 2023, he brought the ball up to court with three minutes to go in the fourth quarter against the Brooklyn Nets.
As he brought up the ball, Luka Dončić realized Mikal Bridges was going to be his original defender. Upon reaching the top of the key, he took a couple of steps towards the right wing, allowing Josh Green to set a phantom screen. The phantom screen forced a defensive switch to happen between Bridges and Cam Thomas.
Consequently, Thomas was guarding him for the rest of the possession. Thomas decided to guard him tightly. As a result, Luka Dončić took two steps towards the basket before doing a step-back counter move to create space. He successfully created space, allowing him to shoot an open three-pointer.
These types of plays have contributed to Luka holding on to the ball for a significant amount of time. He holds on to the ball for an average of 5.5 seconds after receiving a pass from a teammate.
Luka Dončić’s habit has been the catalyst behind his ranking in the top ten in average seconds per touch.
Consequently, teammates spent a substantial amount of time standing behind the arc as floor spacers. During the 2023-24 season, PJ Washington and Tim Hardaway Jr took 56% of the shots from behind the arc, averaging at least 5.8 per game.
Mavs vs Rockets
Luka Dončić primarily passes the ball when multiple defenders surround him. On April 7th, 2024, Maxi Kleber had the ball at the top of the key with 40 seconds left in the fourth quarter against the Houston Rockets.
He initiated a half-hearted dribble handoff sequence with Luka. Dončić went over the screen and was immediately surrounded by Dillon Brooks and Jabari Smith. Consequently, Luka performed a behind-the-back pass to Maxi Kleber, who was wide open at the top of the key. Maxi Kleber would end up missing a three-pointer.
Luka Dončić’s playing style had a significant influence on the Dallas Mavericks’ shot selection. During his tenure, the team ranked eighth in catch-and-shoot threes, averaging 25.6 per game. Catch and shoot accounted for 65.6% of their three-point attempts as they averaged 39 per game, fourth highest in the league.
Why Dalton Knecht Fits Luka’s Offensive System Perfectly
Given how Luka Dončić’s playing style has affected teams in the past, Dalton Knecht would be a perfect complement to him. Dalton took 43% of his shots from behind the arc in three college seasons, averaging 5.5 attempts per game. During his college career, he converted 38% of his attempts.
The shooting success has carried over into his professional career. Dalton took 61% of his shots from behind the arc, averaging 4.4 per game. Catch and shoot were responsible for 81.8% of his three-point attempts as he averaged 3.6 per game.
Dalton Knecht converted 37.4% of the catch-and-shoot attempts. Knecht’s success in the catch-and-shoot department propelled him to convert 37.6% of all his three-point shots.
Given all the factors stated above, it would be stupid for the organization to trade Dalton Knecht. This is because he has the exact skill set required to thrive as a teammate of Luka Dončić.
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