La Lakers star Austin Reeves has great hopes for the 2025-26 season as the team is heading for a critical rebuilding period.
After finishing the 2024-25 regular season as the third seed, the LA Lakers’ hopes for a deep postseason run were high.
These dreams crashed on reality checks when the team lost the opening playoff series 4-1 to the Minnesota Timber Wolves.
The Lakers now head to a free agency eager to deal with their weaknesses brutally exposed in losses.
One player who didn’t run the game in the playoffs was Dalton Knecht, who averaged two minutes in two of five games.
Teammate Austin Reeves believes Knecht is the player he sees next season despite this lack of faith from his head coach.
The Austin Raves spoke with Trevor Lane in an offseason interview and predicted that La Lakers players will be seen in 2025-26.
Reaves did not hesitate to call Dalton Knecht. He explained that he understands he’s working ahead of his sophomore season.
He said: “I got Dalton. I’ve heard he exercises three times a day in LA for the last two, three weeks.
“His talent level is definitely there.”
Reaves says he sees Knecht becoming more curious as the season progresses and sees this as a positive sign.
He states: “He started asking questions and becoming curious.
“I remember Josh Giddy hitting a half-court shot after the Chicago game. We were sitting in the locker room with me and him alone. He looked at me and said, “What do I need to do to get to the court?”
“I’ve gone through all the spills of what you can do, and that’s a small thing like that. There’s a lot for him to learn, the talent is there.”
Knecht actually played most of the games of La Lakers players at 78 last season.
Dalton Knecht played for a few minutes after Luka Doncic’s trade, but the coach didn’t give him a chance despite predicting that JJ Redick could be a potential winner in the playoff game.
The reality is heading for next season. Despite his promising rookie season, Dalton Knecht could be traded.
Knecht was traded once and sent to the Charlotte Hornets during the mid-season until the Mark Williams side of trade was withdrawn.
This was a mental situation that Knecht was difficult to handle, but his return to the Lakers could be short-lived as the team is still looking for center.
The need to do business depends on what Lakers can do with a free agency. When it comes to trading, the team is limited in assets, other franchises know he is available, and Rob Perinka has already made it clear that he is going to make a move.
Even Austin Reeves himself is not safe and is linked to trade rumors. He’s going to be put down, but in the NBA you never know.