Is Dalton Knecht playing tonight against Cleveland Cavaliers? Latest on Lakers guard's status for Summer League game (July 18)

One of the beauties of the NBA Summer League is that it allows the lesser-known younger players to come to the fore, with one such player being the LA Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht. Dane Johnson’s LA continue their summer league exploits on Thursday evening against reigning champions Cleveland Cavaliers.

However, Knecht is unlikely to suit after the Lakers’ medical team advised that the 17th pick from the 2024 NBA Draft needs rest after a busy two weeks of practices and games in both the Cali Classic and Las Vegas Summer Leagues.

It's unknown whether Johnson will include Knecht in the squad for Thursday, but at the moment, it's unlikely.

It wouldn't be Knecht's first time sitting out. He missed the Lakers' thrilling 87-86 victory over the Atlanta Hawks, the team's first win of the summer league. While it wasn't due to injury, the Lakers opted for a cautious approach to ensure his health throughout the summer league.

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How has Dalton Knecht fared so far?

Dalton Knecht made his debut for the Lakers against the Sacramento Kings, where he featured for 26 minutes as a guard.

He produced impressive plays, often looking comfortable on the ball and looking like a player with bags of experience. But against the Miami Heat and the Houston Rockets, he started to show glimpses of the huge potential he has.

He exploded for a 25-point performance against the Rockets and followed it up with a 20-point outing against the Heat. He's averaging 21.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.

The 23-year-old's fancy foot work and close control has seen him excel in the games he has featured in and has showed he's not just a promising two-way player but a versatile 3-point shooter as well.

Knecht has the ability to get forward and cause problems down the lane, but also knows when he's needed at the back when the opposition comes at him. Many are tipping him to fill the void left by Taurean Prince's departure.

He also has a few more games during pre-season to show what he can offer. However, Lakers fans will only know how good he really is once he steps out onto the court in a yellow and purple shirt once the NBA season starts.