The Los Angeles Lakers made waves on Monday, Oct. 19 when they parted ways with wing Dalton Knecht. Knecht was the Lakers' first-round draft pick just two years ago and once looked the part of a force on the rise, but he never seemed to fit with the franchise after it traded for Luka Doncic. Thankfully for the Chicago Bulls, the book hasn't yet been written on his future.
As Chicago searches for ways to bolster its wing depth and add another developable talent to its limited assortment of up-and-coming players, Knecht is at least worth a look.
Knecht has become one of the NBA's most confusing enigmas. He was one of the most polished scorers in his rookie class in 2024-25, but seemed to fall apart at the seams when the Lakers swapped out Anthony Davis for Doncic as the hub of the offense.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick has praised Knecht for getting "better as a player over the last two years," however, and has made it fair to question if a better fit could unleash his potential.
For as many question marks as there may be, there's also talent to explore. Knecht was the No. 17 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, has proven capable of scoring with volume at the professional level, and is capable of creating his own offense and burying threes.
For a Bulls team that doesn't exactly have a thriving pipeline of developing talent, nor an even slightly deep cast of shot-creating wings, Knecht could be an excellent late addition.
Dalton Knecht fits the Bulls' needs and Caleb Wilson's timeline
Knecht is coming off of a season during which he averaged just 4.2 points in 10.2 minutes per game. He also shot 34.2 percent from beyond the arc. Though he may not have been Kon Knueppel as a rookie, it was still a clear step back.
In saying that, the former Lakers wing showed just how capable he is of scoring with volume and efficiency during a strong rookie season in 2024-25.
Knecht finished the 2024-25 campaign with averages of 9.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.6 three-point field goals made in 19.2 minutes per game. Those numbers translate to intriguing marks of 17.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.1 three-point field goals made per 36 minutes.
In addition to scoring, rebounding, and shooting with solid volume for a first-year player, Knecht shot efficiently at a clip of .461/.376/.762.
In addition to producing well on a per-36 level, Knecht showed fascinating peak potential. He produced a 37-point eruption in November and a 32-point showing in March, and ultimately tallied seven 20-point games despite his limited role in a changing offensive landscape.
Knecht also averaged 14.4 points on 40.0 percent shooting from beyond the arc between the 35 games during which he played at least 20 minutes.
Bulls need wings who can score beyond Buzelis and Powell
Chicago's roster, meanwhile, features three exceptionally talented shot creators along the wings: Matas Buzelis, Norman Powell, and rookie Caleb Wilson. Unfortunately, there isn't much beyond them in terms of perimeter players who can create their own offense or space the floor with proven success.
Noa Essengue and Dailyn Swain are promising talents who offer upside to explore, but they've also played a combined six career NBA minutes.
Isaac Okoro and Patrick Williams are more experienced, but neither has proven to excel in shot creation or three-point shooting. Leonard Miller experienced a mini breakout during the preseason, but he also has a 27-game sample size of averaging more than 5.0 minutes per game.
WIth such limited options for creating offense and a new franchise player in Wilson to support with shooting and self creation, there's a clear void to fill.
Thankfully, Knecht has hit the open market at the 25th hour. It's unfortunate that he'd be joining the Bulls without getting to spend training camp or the preseason with them, but he's a talented 25-year-old scorer who can at least take pressure off of the likes of Buzelis, Josh Giddey, and Wilson—all the while fitting their timeline of development.
It's not necessarily a guaranteed success story, but the Bulls signing Knecht would be a low-risk, high-reward opportunity to explore.
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