BREAKING: Lakers dangerously close to repeating Ivica Zubac mistake that still haunts them today
The Lakers can't afford to repeat history in 2025.
The Los Angeles Lakers gave up on Ivica Zubac too soon—and are still trying to replace him. They can't repeat that mistake with Dalton Knecht.
The Los Angeles Lakers completed one of the most baffling trades in NBA history in February of 2019. In the midst of a visible improvement in consistency and production, the Lakers traded third-year center Ivica Zubac to the LA Clippers for Mike Muscala—a player they parted with after just 17 games.
As fate would have it, Zubac has gone on to become one of the better centers in the NBA, earning All-Defense honors in 2024-25. The Lakers, meanwhile, are still searching for his replacement.
Six long years later, Los Angeles has been unable to field adequate depth at the center position. That reared its head in 2024-25, when a failed Mark Williams trade left the team without a starting-caliber player at the position.
The only semi-proven line of defense they had was Jaxson Hayes, who averaged just 7.8 minutes per game during the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
The post-Zubac era has been fruitful, of course, as Los Angeles won a championship in 2020 and reached the 2023 Western Conference Finals. The franchise's struggle to replace Zubac, however, has become a cautionary tale for moving on too quickly from promising talent on rookie-scale contracts.
If the Lakers aren't careful, they'll repeat the Zubac mistake by giving up far too soon on another promising up-and-comer: Dalton Knecht.
Is Dalton Knecht the Lakers' next Ivica Zubac?
Los Angeles nearly traded Knecht to the Charlotte Hornets in the Williams trade that was abandoned due to a failed physical. As the Lakers prepare to search for a new center during the 2025 offseason, speculation is again mounting that he could be traded in such a pursuit.
As fate would have it, the decision to trade Knecht would likely go hand-in-hand with the years-long effort to adequately replace Zubac in the first place.
Knecht, however, isn't just a run-of-the-mill rookie-scale player whom the Lakers can afford to dispense without a second thought. He's one of the most talented and productive players to emerge from his class of 2024-25 rookies, instantly revealing ready-made skills that can help Los Angeles.
Giving up on his development before he can even play a minute as a non-rookie player would be disastrous unless the return was truly remarkable.
Knecht ranked fourth among rookies in 2024-25 at 17.0 points per 36 minutes. He also posted the second-best eFG% of any first-year player who appeared in at least 65 games—with 7'4" and 305-pound center Zach Edey finishing ahead of him.
Knecht was also No. 1 amongst qualified rookies in three-point field goals made per 36 minutes, burying 3.1 at an efficient clip of 37.6 percent.
The long-term value of Dalton Knecht—on and off the court
The obvious appeal of refusing to trade Knecht is having the opportunity to develop him into a player who perfectly fits JJ Redick's system and general outlook. He already excels in several crucial areas, including the fact that he shot 37.4 percent on catch-and-shoot threes as a rookie.
Knecht also averaged 16.7 points and 3.1 three-point field goals made on .461/.395/.667 shooting across 16 starts—twice exceeding 30 points in a single game.
Beyond the value he presents in both the short term and the long term on the court, Knecht could prove invaluable on the salary cap table. Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves will soon enter negotiations for massive contract extensions, and the topic of LeBron James' retirement rarely produces a clear answer.
As such, there's a realistic possibility that the Lakers will soon see their cap space consumed by contracts to just three players—making the acquisition of adequate depth a tall task.
Knecht, meanwhile, is due to make just $4,010,160 in 2025-26. His contract also includes club options worth $4,201,080 and $6,452,860 for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons. Those team-friendly figures, as well as a 2028 period of restricted free agency, could make Knecht one of the most important sources of bench depth on the roster.
After failing to capitalize on the affordability and value Zubac could've provided, the Lakers must not repeat the same mistake by giving up on Knecht far too soon.