Overview
- ESPN outlined a Keon Ellis–for–Dalton Knecht plus a 2032 second-round pick concept as a low-cost move to bolster the Lakers’ perimeter defense.
- Los Angeles ranks 23rd in defensive rating and 29th since early December, highlighting the push for a defensive wing.
- Ellis, 26, has fluctuated minutes this season and is in the final year of a three-year, $5.1 million contract before free agency.
- The Lakers reportedly have only one tradable second-round pick in 2032 and aim to preserve their lone movable first, so any discussions remain theoretical.
- Knecht, 24, is in year two of a four-year, $18.4 million rookie deal and could offer Sacramento cost-controlled shooting as the Kings slog through an 8-29 start.