Dalton Knecht has had a whirlwind rookie season. He showed out in front of his idol, Kevin Durant, electrified a home crowd with 37 points and was traded by the Lakers and then sent back.
Friday, he made a live appearance on Greek television and secured a spot in his first All-Star Game.
With his team winning the Rising Stars Game, Knecht will play Sunday against a squad that includes his superstar Lakers teammate LeBron James, Durant and Stephen Curry.
“Going against all the All Stars, you know, it’s gonna be fun,” Knecht said. “I watched a lot of it growing up as a kid. Now I’m a part of it.”
As Knecht got his first taste of All-Star Weekend, the sting from being dealt (and then returned) was starting to dissolve. He played for the first time since the botched trade Wednesday in Utah before representing the Lakers in San Francisco.
“Going back to the gym and shooting, you know, clears out my head. Just getting shots up,” Knecht told The Times.
He looked at ease Friday playing alongside most valuable player Stephon Castle, who finished with 12 points and three rebounds in the championship game.
In the first of two games in which the first team to 40 won, Knecht scored seven points, opening the action at Chase Center with the first basket of the weekend — a three.
In the final against a team made up of G-League representatives, Knecht scored five, the points coming late as his team pulled away, setting up the opportunity to talk trash with James.
“I usually don’t start it. I usually don’t start talking. I usually try to finish it,” Knecht said. “So, you know, we’ll see.”
He got the full All-Star experience Friday, complete with a news conference where he answered questions about wanting to watch a fictional dunk contest between a 40-year-old James, Michael Jordan and Vince Carter, whether he has made friends with any of the NBA’s Filipino players, what’s his favorite Mexican restaurant and whether he wants to compete in the dunk contest or the three-point contest someday.
“I think I could do both,” he said.
Knecht’s return to the Lakers comes with his future in question. The Lakers, once so happy that Knecht fell to them at No. 17 on draft night that they eschewed their plans to take Orlando wing Tristan Da Silva or Baylor center Yves Missi, decided to move on from him in pursuit of Charlotte center Mark Williams despite Knecht playing rotation minutes all season.
There have been growing pains, a prolonged shooting slump and a handful of viral clips showing an upset Lakers bench after Knecht messed up a play. Questions about his defense made the Lakers willing to move him before the deal was rescinded. This summer they will be shopping for centers in free agency and via trade, and Knecht could once again be one of their best assets.
Knecht just wants to play, armed with the lessons learned from the first half-season of his career that’s already included some wild opportunities — an All-Star appearance being the latest.
“At the end of the day, I’ve realized like really early that it’s a business. And one day you can be with the Lakers, and one day you can be on another team,” Knecht said. “So at the end of the day, it’s kind of quick. You can’t take the moment for [granted]. You gotta just enjoy every single time.”
