NBA Mock Trade: Lakers deal Dalton Knecht and $11.5 million role player to grab 6-foot-5 playoffs standout 

The LA Lakers haven't been overly active this offseason. They made the rounds earlier for signing Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia, and they later got their hands on Marcus Smart. Those moves should all benefit JJ Redick's team, but it might not be enough; they need to add another defensive player who can knock down shots and get stops.

With that in mind, they could look to make a run at 6-foot-5 forward Aaron Nesmith, who might be the odd man out in the Indiana Pacers' stacked rotation and about to enter the second year of his three-year contract.

In this scenario, the Lakers could move Gabe Vincent, Dalton Knecht, one first-round pick swap in 2030, a 2031 first-round pick and a 2032 second-round pick for Nesmith. Vincent is set to earn $11.5 million in the final year of his contract this season.

While giving up a first-round pick and the pick swap might feel like too much, that's the type of move a team needs to make when they want to get over the hump right away. From a player's perspective, they would be giving up two players who will have a tough time getting minutes.

Nesmith has averaged 11.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 40 playoff games with the Pacers, including one trip to the Eastern Conference Finals and another to the NBA Finals. He's a battle-tested veteran and could be of real use for the Lakers.

Dalton Knecht could be on 'thin ice' in Los Angeles

The Lakers had high hopes when they took Dalton Knecht in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft. There was a point where he looked like the biggest steal of his class, and he may have been the most NBA-ready player of all.

Unfortunately, he went ice-cold as quickly as he got red-hot, and he fell out of Coach Redick's rotation entirely in the playoffs. That's why, after watching him struggle in the Summer League, Tyler Watts of Lake Show Life believes he could be on his way out:

"The ice is thin entering Dalton Knecht’s second NBA season. His poor performance against his peers in summer league made things worse. The Lakers have no reason to trust his defense or playmaking," Watts wrote. "Knecht is strictly a shooter at this stage with limited usefulness to a team that wants to contend."

Knecht averaged 9.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 19.2 minutes per game as a rookie, and while his sharpshooting skills are definitely good, he's not a good defender or a good fit next to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

Also, with the Lakers already trading him once last season in the Mark Williams fiasco, it wouldn't be shocking to see him be the odd man out again this season.