The rivalry between the LA Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers may be on par with some of the greatest in league history, as every season, games are incredibly suspenseful, and fans of both sides constantly debate which team is better suited to win the NBA Finals. Soon enough, both will face each other in the playoffs, which should go down as a legendary series.
However, fans of the Lakers are aware of how thankful the Clippers are for their donation of Ivica Zubac, one of the NBA’s best centers. He recently made the All-Defensive second team, was sixth in the league-wide voting for Defensive Player of the Year, and had a competitive campaign going for a first-time All-Star..
In fact, Zubac led the league in total rebounds and dominated the Denver Nuggets, led by Nikola Jokić, in a series that lasted seven games, giving Clipper Nation a reasonable belief that he was the second-best player on the team from start to finish of the 2024-25 regular season.
To think the Clippers landed him from their rival for just Mike Mascala is mind-boggling; yet the Lakers made the mistake of not being patient with a young talent who was in a challenging situation, and now they are regretting their haste.
That said, the Lakers could repeat history and give the Clippers another future star who recently portrayed struggles for Los Angeles’ summer league squad.
The LA Clippers should take a low-risk chance on Dalton Knecht, a former first-round pick of the Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers have been making future-centered decisions, as Deandre Ayton was added this summer and Luka Dončić was recently extended. Yet, fans of the Lakers are worried about Dalton Knecht’s future, a player drafted in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft.
Knecht was supposed to be on the Charlotte Hornets at the trade deadline, but despite the trade being rescinded, he had a solid rookie season, averaging 9.1 points and 2.8 rebounds in 78 games, shooting 46.1% from the floor and 37.6% from a distance.
Conversely, in the summer league, Knecht performed poorly, posting 10.3 points through three games, with shooting splits of 27.9% from the floor and 23.8% from three-point range.
These numbers are concerning, but becoming a star for the Lakers comes with a significant amount of pressure, given all the eyes watching. This could lead to shooting slumps or jitters before games.
Nonetheless, the Clippers should look to acquire Knecht and focus on turning him into a star, similarly to Zubac, as it would, at most, cost a second-round pick and a reserve.