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The last week for Los Angeles Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht has been an absolute whirlwind, to say the least. The guard was traded prior to the deadline to the Charlotte Hornets as part of a package in exchange for center Mark Williams. However, after a failed physical by Williams, the trade was rescinded and Knecht and Cam Reddish had to return to the team.
It makes for a very awkward situation, especially for a rookie who has never been traded before, let alone have to return back to the team that just dealt him away. Knecht was back on the court for the first time since returning to the Lakers and afterwards revealed that ultimately, he is excited to return to the team and just play basketball, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“It was a crazy time. Not too many people have done that and come back. But at the end of the day, I just wanted to hoop. I told that to JJ and Rob when I got back, that was the main thing was I just wanted to hoop. I wanted to play but I got in late and at the end of the day they said Wednesday was my return so I was excited to come back here and play with my guys.”
Knecht continued on in more detail about everything that he went through in going back and forth between the Lakers and Hornets:
“It felt like a movie. After that game, came back the next day and went to go get some shots up in the gym. Twenty free throws in, I usually always shoot 25 right before I shoot, and Rob called me up there and told me the news. It was hard, got drafted here and L.A. means a lot, so hearing that and then I went over to Charlotte in the morning with one of my guys and got introduced and met all those people. Flew out to Detroit to what was called my debut game, to now I’m flying back to L.A. and Rob called me and said you’re coming back. I was excited to just go out there and hoop no matter where I was going. I just wanted to go hoop. I told that to JJ and Rob. I get it’s a business, so at the end of the day, I told them let’s just go play basketball.”
Some wondered why Knecht didn’t suit up for the Lakers on Monday, but after a conversation with head coach JJ Redick, they agreed that it was best to wait until Wednesday night:
“We sat down and talked right when I got back. We had a couple conversations and we ultimately agreed that Monday I wouldn’t play because I got in super late from my flight. So we knew Wednesday I was gonna play so I was excited to do what I love to do and that’s go out there and compete and play with my teammates.”
It is a difficult situation for Knecht without a doubt, but he has the right mindset to be able to move past this. And now that he is officially back with the Lakers, he can focus on basketball and continue to contribute to this team down the stretch of this season.
JJ Redick discusses what went wrong for Lakers in loss vs. Jazz
Dalton Knecht was solid in his first game back with the Lakers, scoring 10 points off the bench, but it came in a disappointing overall effort as the Lakers were blown out by the Utah Jazz.
Head coach JJ Redick spoke after the game about what went wrong in the contest and wasn’t willing to use the upcoming All-Star break as an excuse. Redick felt the Lakers lost sight of what had been working for them, especially defensively and weren’t physical enough, allowing the Jazz to gain confidence and run away with the game.
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Multiple Players Ejected in Lakers vs Spurs Game
Monday night's makeup contest between the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers wasn't a close one, and such was the case midway through the fourth quarter. That didn't mean tempers weren't high. With 6:32 remaining in the final period at Crypto.com Arena, Jeremy Sochan received a pass from Devin Vassell in the midrange. As he tried to back down Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt, he was fouled. Sochan directed the basketball at Vanderbilt — though not with much force — which prompted a shove and an ensuing scuffle. Both players were ejected for the incident. For Sochan, playing an agitator role is nothing new. "I'm not doing it on purpose," he explained earlier in the season. "I'm not trying to be a d***head. I'm just me ... I'm going to be me every game." At the time, the Lakers had a 14-point lead over the Spurs without LeBron James. Austin Reaves led the scoring front for Los Angeles with 30 points while Luka Dončić followed behind with 21. The Lakers secured their second straight victory since dropping four straight in James' absence and move into a tie with the Memphis Grizzlies for the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference. As for San Antonio? It's back in sole possession of the No. 13 seed in the West; it now falls to 5-10 since losing Victor Wembanyama and 1-2 since losing De'Aaron Fox. Perhaps the only silver lining is that Sochan wasn't ejected at a point when hopes of a road comeback still existed.
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At the trade deadline, the Ottawa Senators made a big move by acquiring Dylan Cozens. They managed to get him for just Josh Norris and Jacob Bernard-Docker, and so far, it looks like a great deal for them. Cozens is producing, and the Senators are winning since his arrival. However, many Montreal Canadiens fans had hoped that Cozens would land in Montreal, especially after Kirby Dach's injury. He would have been an excellent second-line center behind Nick Suzuki. But according to Mathias Brunet (BPM Sports), Kent Hughes inquired, but the price demanded by the Buffalo Sabres was outrageous. Buffalo's asking price was Cole Caufield or Juraj Slafkovsky. Kent Hughes rightfully refused to trade Cole Caufield or Juraj Slafkovsky in exchange for young center Dylan Cozens The Sabres didn't want picks or prospects; they wanted an established player, just like how the Sens gave up Norris. And even though Cozens was struggling in Buffalo, that didn't change his price. The case can be made that it was a smart move for the Canadiens to refuse the offer. Yes, Cozens would have brought great balance to the top six, but trading Caufield or Slafkovsky is too risky. They are two of the most beloved players in the city, and more importantly, the team's top offensive contributors. What this shows is that if the Canadiens want to add a real second-line center this summer, it's going to cost a lot. This won't happen with a B-level prospect and a second-round pick. A significant piece will have to be sacrificed.
Mitch Marner and John Tavares Heavily Linked to Stanley Cup Contender in Free Agency, per Pierre LeBrun
Pending free agents Mitch Marner and John Tavares are expected to entertain offers come July 1, but one team has decided they'd like to cause a storm this summer. As the days tick away, the Toronto Maple Leafs are trying to figure out whether or not Mitch Marner and John Tavares are going to re-sign with the team. While they want to make a championship run with the Leafs, it's been several years of failure and they may want to move on. Several teams are going to be looking at both men come July 1, and with Mikko Rantanen off the market, Marner is undoubtedly the biggest free agent on the market. Speaking of, one of the teams interested knows all about how Rantanen's deal played out; considering they dealt him there in the first place. According to NHL Insider Pierre LeBrun, the Carolina Hurricanes are expected to make a big play for not only Marner, but Tavares come summer: The Carolina Hurricanes are 'expected to pursue' Mitch Marner if he ends up hitting free agency this summer. Carolina will have ample cap flexibility in part because Stankoven is still on his entry-level contract through next season. The Hurricanes project to have $36 million to work with, though Taylor Hall, Brent Burns, Dmitry Orlov, and Frederik Andersen are among the club's biggest pending unrestricted free agents. That cap space could allow Carolina to go big-game hunting this summer, with Marner headlining a group of top UFAs-including a whole bunch of other high-profile names and even fellow Leaf John Tavares. Carolina Hurricanes Big Players For Mitch Marner and John Tavares Come July 1 It isn't surprising that the Hurricanes are interested in Marner, as the team was close to a deal to acquire the pending free agent for Ratanen before they sent him south to Dallas. But Tavares is certainly an interesting case. Carolina would offer him a solid role in their Top 9, an equal or better chance at winning at the end of his career, and could join Marner knowing he has some stability and chemistry from years past. Though they could also set their sights on adding names like Aaron Ekblad or Sam Bennett (if he doesn't re-sign) or perhaps they could grab someone like Yanni Gourde as a smaller but still valuable piece. If Toronto isn't careful, not only are they going to lose out on Marner who is more than likely headed out of town unless the Leafs pull off a wild bit of negotiation over the next few weeks. But they may also lose out on Tavares, who may have more to give in his eyes and look for a payday that Toronto might not be able to afford.
Could the Packers add $13.7M weapon for Jordan Love?
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