Where in the world did this come from? That's what a lot of Tennessee Vols basketball fans are asking themselves on Thursday morning, as some pretty stunning news has come in on former team great Dalton Knecht.
At 12:15 a.m. ET, the breaking news dropped that Knecht's time with the Los Angeles Lakers was already coming to an end, as the storied franchise has decided to trade him to the Charlotte Hornets. What, what?! Indeed, with the trade deadline arriving on Thursday, Knecht was part of a head-turning deal with Charlotte to bring in more help for LeBron James:
Just In: The Los Angeles Lakers are trading Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, a 2031 unprotected first-round pick and a 2030 pick swap to the Charlotte Hornets for center Mark Williams, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/QGUwETssGd
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 6, 2025
Former Tennessee standout Dalton Knecht was surprisingly traded by the LA Lakers
The Lakers made a monster splash here to land talented big man Mark Williams, sending Knecht, Cam Reddish and more to the Hornets in exchange for him. The 7-0, 240-pounder is in the middle of a tremendous season, averaging 15.6 points and 9.6 rebounds per game.
With the Lakers previously trading Anthony Davis to Dallas as part of the three-team trade for Luka Doncic, it was clear that the team needed some help in the paint. Knecht, a first-round pick in 2024, didn't have the same value as he previously did with Doncic making his way to town.
This stings for the rookie, no doubt, as he was enjoying his first season in the league playing with James and Co. However, this is a fresh reminder that the NBA is a business and you can be asked to pack your bags and change teams at any time.
If Vols fans are looking for a positive here, it's that Knecht will now be playing in Charlotte with former Tennessee stud Grant Williams. Williams wasted no time welcoming Knecht to Charlotte, posting on social media that Rocky Top will always be home.
Soon enough, Knecht will make his debut with the Hornets, but it's totally understandable if he's quite stunned by this latest news too. Thus far this season, he is averaging 9.4 points per game. He was the No. 17 overall pick in the draft.