Dalton Knecht's Lakers exit gives Mavericks a chance to start fixing their shooting

After seeing how the Dallas Mavericks fared during the preseason from long range, they clearly need more 3-point shooting ahead of their first regular-season game tomorrow against the Houston Rockets.

Dallas shot 32.4 percent from three (26th in the NBA) on 43.3 attempts per game (fifth in the NBA) during the preseason. While their volume increased dramatically from a season ago, it doesn't look like their offseason focus on adding more shooting will yield enough results for the team to take a big step in the right direction.

Dalton Knecht is the rising shooter Dallas needs

Dallas also made the shocking decision to let go of John Poulakidas, one of the best volume shooters on the team, over the weekend, opening up a two-way roster spot right before their first game. Yesterday was filled with some surprising moves across the league as teams looked to finalize their rosters, and the Los Angeles Lakers decided to move on from Dalton Knecht after just two seasons.

Knecht averaged 7.1 points and 2.2 rebounds per game while shooting 36.8 percent from three on 3.4 attempts per game as a Laker, and the Mavericks should consider taking a swing on him to help replace the 3-point shooting that was lost by waiving Poulakidas.

Dallas needs far more than one player to get their shooting back on track, but bringing in Knecht on a two-way deal would be a great start.

Knecht thrived during his rookie season, averaging 9.1 points per game while shooting 37.6 percent from three on 4.4 attempts per game. He had a stable role in JJ Redick's rotation, playing in 78 games and starting 16, laying the foundation for a productive career as an electric sharpshooter off the bench.

Knecht's rookie year showed how dangerous he can become

The former Tennessee Volunteer even put up 37 points while shooting 9-for-12 from three in his fourth career start, showing how explosive he can be from beyond the arc when he's dialed in. This performance came directly after a 27-point game against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Knecht clearly has potential as a sharpshooter, and his big-time shot-making, deep range, and off-ball movement make him an intriguing candidate for the Mavs to consider with their final roster spot. He has proven that he can be productive when handed a consistent role, as shown by him averaging 16.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game while shooting 39.5 percent from three on 7.8 attempts per game over 16 starts as a rookie.

The Mavericks need more shooting around Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving

Knecht has the upside; he just needs a team to believe in him after an underwhelming season in Los Angeles. He would give the Mavs exactly what they need: more proven shooters around their star duo of Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving.

Dusty May has already made it clear that he wants his team to shoot more, and Knecht would help fulfill this goal. He's not afraid to let it fly on the perimeter

The Mavericks' offseason additions' shooting looked questionable during the preseason, and someone like Knecht would give them a promising player who's entering his third season and needs a fresh start. Dallas has taken multiple low-risk swings on slept-on former first-round picks, as shown by their moves for Zaccharie Risacher, Jett Howard, and Marcus Sasser throughout this offseason, and signing Knecht to a two-way deal would fall right in line with these moves.

He could regain his confidence in the G League while fighting to earn a consistent role for the Mavericks, and rapid growth could result in him earning a standard contract.

Dallas needs reliable floor spacing to help their offense get back on track, and bringing in a player who has made 5+ 3-pointers nine different times over his first two seasons in the league would help them do that. Knecht is hard to slow down when he's draining shots with confidence and playing with energy, and playing alongside two ball-dominant stars in Irving and Flagg would allow him to move well without the ball both beyond the arc and toward the basket as well.

He has plenty of experience playing with star players due to his time spent playing with Luka Doncic and LeBron James for the Lakers, and the Mavs could help maximize his strengths and join a rebuilding team rather than having to fight for a role on a contender.

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