Mavericks should be thankful forgotten Luka Doncic trade detail fell through

The Dallas Mavericks clearly should've gotten more from the Los Angeles Lakers when they traded them Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis, as this is one of the many major knocks about the move that the Mavericks still always get flak for, but not landing Dalton Knecht from the Lakers may have actually been a blessing in disguise for Dallas.

Knecht, along with an additional first-round pick, was part of the negotiations between the Mavs and Lakers at one point, but ultimately, these two assets got taken out of the trade that ended up going through. Mavericks fans were furious that they didn't get Knecht back in the trade, as he was in the middle of a dominant rookie season that included a 37-point game, but the Mavs may have dodged a bullet, as his value has tanked, according to a new rumor.

According to Dan Woike of The Athletic, an NBA scout recently labeled him as a "negative asset" (subscription required) after a poor shooting game in the Lakers' preseason opener against the Phoenix Suns, and this view could be universal around the league after they didn't trade him this summer. This means that the Lakers could have to attach draft capital with Knecht to entice a team to take on his contract in a trade, and the Mavericks not having a negative contract on their books saved them from a major headache.

Dalton Knecht is not thought of as a positive asset in today's NBA

Knecht's NBA career isn't over by any means, but he definitely cooled off as his rookie year went on, and he may never pan out to be the knockdown sharpshooter that fans thought that he would be early on in his NBA career.

These concerning developments around Knecht were present earlier this summer as well, as he struggled some during NBA Summer League, and the Mavs may be better off without him. They are already in the middle of a major roster crunch, as players like Dalano Banton and Dennis Smith Jr. may get let off the 15-man roster altogether despite being proven NBA talent, and Knecht would've taken up a valued roster spot that could've gone to someone else who would've helped Dallas win right now.

The Mavericks already had to waive Olivier-Maxence Prosper to create a roster spot for Dante Exum earlier this summer since they didn't want to attach second-round draft capital to dump him in a trade, and having another player in that same boat would've been a nightmare in roster-building terms.

Knecht would've given the Mavs some consistent shooting during their dry spell from downtown at the end of last season, as he shot 37.6 percent from three as a rookie, but the shooting upside may not be worth a roster spot on a team that is trying to contend for a title right now. His inconsistency, defensive struggles, and limited playmaking are concerning enough to assume he may never be a high-level role player in this league, and he seems to be the Lakers' problem now instead of the Mavs'.

The Lakers tried to send him to the Charlotte Hornets as part of the Mark Williams trade before that move got rescinded, and it wouldn't be shocking to see Los Angeles try to move off from him once again during the 2025-26 season.