The No. 4 seed Los Angeles Lakers will face the No. 5 seed Houston Rockets on Saturday in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series. Los Angeles enters the matchup without its starting guards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, leaving head coach JJ Redick with several rotation decisions. One of such includes whether to give Dalton Knecht more minutes in the rotation.
Knecht was selected 17th overall by the Lakers in the 2024 NBA Draft, with expectations that he would develop into a reliable shooter and scorer capable of spacing the floor and providing instant offense off the bench.
However, his first two seasons in Los Angeles have been a disappointment. Knecht appeared in 54 games this season but did not secure a consistent spot in Redick’s regular rotation.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Dalton Knecht (4).Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The former Tennessee Volunteer averaged 4.2 points, 1.4 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game while shooting 45.5% from the field and 34.2% from three-point range in the regular season. But his limited role has fallen short of the expectations tied to his draft position.
As attention turns to how the Lakers might utilize him in the playoffs, the team took a moment to recognize him off the court.
Following Friday’s practice, Redick and the rest of the squad held an early birthday celebration for Knecht and fellow guard Nick Smith Jr., with the Lakers sharing clips of the moment on social media.
Born on April 19, 2001, Knecht will turn 25 on Sunday, one day after Game 1 against Houston. He will be hoping to mark the occasion with a strong performance and a Lakers win to open the series.
Game 1 is scheduled to tip off on Saturday at 8:30 pm ET on ABC. A win will help LA maintain home court advantage, while a loss could swing the pendulum in Houston’s favor.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Apr 17, 2026, where it first appeared in the NBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.