Dalton Knecht’s time with the Los Angeles Lakers could be running out, and the timing couldn’t be worse for the former first-round pick. With the roster deadline approaching, Los Angeles is exploring a trade that could send him to Milwaukee. But the proposed deal comes with a complication that makes this more than a simple change of scenery.

The Lakers now face a decision that could leave the former first-round pick without a spot. A trade is one possible route, but the name involved in the latest discussions might surprise fans who expected Los Angeles to focus on its perimeter rotation.

Jake Fischer reported on October 15 that the Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks had held exploratory trade discussions involving Knecht and 27-year-old center Jericho Sims. “League sources say that the Lakers and Bucks have held exploratory trade discussions on a framework that would ship former first-round selection Dalton Knecht to Milwaukee (along with second-round draft capital) in exchange for big man Jericho Sims. Yet it must be said that I’ve also heard some pessimism from sources briefed on those talks that such a trade will actually go through,” Fischer wrote on The People’s Insider.

Knecht’s uncertain future has also made him a target of growing frustration among Lakers fans. The criticism intensified after his scoreless outing against Golden State on October 13, when he managed just one rebound in six minutes. Following the performance, fans questioned whether he still had a place on the roster. One reaction captured by Yahoo Sports read, “I’m actually a better basketball player than Dalton Knecht right now.” Others predicted he would be cut before the regular season began.

The backlash did not start this week. Knecht faced criticism during the 2025 Summer League after opening with 7.0 points per game, shooting 5-for-20 from the field and missing all nine of his three-point attempts across his first two games. Some fans called for a trade, while others urged patience. His struggles have since become part of a bigger conversation around his development, particularly after the Lakers’ failed trade for Mark Williams in February 2025 left him in Los Angeles.

The timing matters because the Lakers are not simply weighing whether Sims would help them. They are also trying to get their roster down from 16 guaranteed standard contracts to the 15 allowed for the regular season by October 19. A separate report has raised the possibility of waiving Knecht if the Lakers cannot find a trade, but that is a contingency, not a confirmed decision. And even if the Sims deal happens on the reported one-for-one framework, Los Angeles would still need another roster move to get down to 15.

The Lakers’ decision becomes more complicated when Knecht’s role is viewed against his first two NBA seasons. He averaged 9.1 points in 19.2 minutes per game as a rookie in 2024–25, shooting 37.6% from three on 128 makes in 340 attempts. In 2025–26, those numbers fell to 4.2 points and 10.2 minutes per game, while his three-point percentage dropped to 34.2%. The decline in playing time is just as important as the drop in production: the Lakers have given him far fewer chances to establish himself.

That does not automatically mean the Lakers have given up on his shooting. Knecht appeared in 54 regular-season games last season, but started only once, and played just 3.1 minutes per game across seven playoff appearances. In the Lakers’ October 13 preseason game against Golden State, he logged six minutes and finished with zero points and one rebound. That is a small sample, not proof that he cannot help the team. But it does show how little room he has had to make a case for himself recently.

The wider roster picture makes that opportunity harder to find. Quentin Grimes, Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams, Jaden Hardy, and rookie Adou Thiero are among the perimeter options listed in the Lakers’ current roster picture, alongside primary ball-handlers Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. Each player has a different role, so this is not a case of every name being a direct replacement for Knecht. The bigger issue is that a team with limited standard-contract spots must decide which skills it most needs from its final roster places.

Why Jericho Sims is in the Lakers’ picture

Sims offers the Lakers a very different skill set from Knecht. The 6’10 center was drafted 58th overall by the New York Knicks in 2021 and later joined Milwaukee. His game is built around finishing close to the basket, rebounding, and providing an athletic target around the rim rather than spacing the floor as a shooter.

His recent numbers support that description. Sims averaged 5.0 points in 19.7 minutes per game during the 2025–26 season while shooting 78.4% from the field. That percentage points to an efficient finisher, although it does not tell the whole story. A center who scores mainly around the rim will naturally have a different shot profile from a perimeter player taking three-pointers, so the figure should not be treated as a direct measure of overall value.

Sims also showed what he can offer in Milwaukee’s October 14 preseason game against Chicago. He recorded three points, eight rebounds, two assists, and one block in 22 minutes. One game cannot establish what his role would be in Los Angeles, but it provides a concrete example of the work he can do beyond scoring.

The fit is easier to understand when the question is narrowed to what the Lakers would be buying. Sims could provide another option for rim runs, screens, and rebounds, giving the team a different look from its perimeter scorers. But he would not replace Knecht’s shooting, and the Lakers would need to decide whether the extra frontcourt depth is worth surrendering a young player and draft capital. That is the real trade-off: Sims may address one need, but acquiring him does not automatically make the overall roster better.

Milwaukee has its own roster decisions to make, which gives the reported framework a potential benefit for both teams. The Bucks could turn a center who is not guaranteed a major role into a young perimeter player and additional draft capital. Knecht’s rookie-scale contract also gives Milwaukee time to evaluate whether his shooting can translate into a more consistent role.

But that possibility should not be mistaken for proof that the Bucks are eager to move Sims. Milwaukee is also exploring options involving Caris LeVert and Kevin Porter Jr. as it works through its own roster decisions, while keeping Pete Nance appears to be another consideration. However, the available reporting does not establish how those situations will affect the Sims discussions. Without stronger reporting, it would be premature to claim that Sims is expendable or that Milwaukee has already chosen its preferred roster configuration.

The draft compensation could be the difference between a deal that makes sense and one that costs the Lakers too much. Fischer’s report refers to second-round draft capital, but the available information does not establish the specific pick, its year, or any protections. That matters because the Lakers would not simply be moving Knecht for Sims. They would also be giving up an additional asset to acquire a reserve center, while still facing the need to clear a standard-contract spot.

There is also a question of timing. If the Lakers believe Sims is the right fit, waiting could mean losing the chance to acquire him. But if their priority is simply to reduce the roster from 16 players to 15, spending draft capital on this particular deal may not be the only route. The value of the proposal depends on whether Sims addresses a genuine basketball need, not just whether the transaction can be completed before the deadline.

Knecht’s contract adds another layer to the decision. His 2026–27 salary is listed at $4,201,080, while Sims is listed at $2,801,346. A swap would lower the Lakers’ salary commitment by roughly $1.4 million, based on those figures, but it would not reduce their standard-contract count. That distinction matters: a move can help financially without solving the roster problem that prompted it.

Waiting would preserve the Lakers’ flexibility, but it would also carry a risk: Sims could become unavailable before Los Angeles makes its decision. The front office therefore has to weigh the value of securing a specific player against the possibility that a different roster move could solve the immediate problem at a lower cost. There is no confirmed evidence that waiting would deliver a better option, just as there is no guarantee that the Sims deal would improve the rotation enough to justify the assets involved.

Fischer’s report leaves one thing clear: the Lakers and Bucks have discussed the framework, but the deal is far from certain. His sources expressed pessimism about it being completed, and the available reporting does not establish that either team has agreed to the proposed terms.

If the talks fall apart, the Lakers would still have to address their roster count. Waiving Knecht is one possibility raised in the reporting, but it should not be treated as a confirmed outcome. The team could also explore another trade or a different roster move, provided the transaction satisfies the applicable rules. Each option comes with a cost, whether that means losing a young player, giving up assets, or sacrificing another piece of the rotation.

That brings the decision back to the question behind the entire situation. Knecht’s playing time and production have fallen since his rookie season, while Sims could offer a specific kind of frontcourt help. But the Lakers would need to decide whether that help is worth the price, especially when a one-for-one swap would not solve their roster-count problem on its own.

The Lakers may ultimately decide that Sims is the right fit, or they may look elsewhere. What matters is that they cannot treat the reported trade as a complete solution before the roster math is settled. With the October 19 deadline approaching, their challenge is not simply finding a place for Knecht. It is making a move that improves the team without spending more than the problem requires.