Lakers' Knecht On Rescinded Trade: 'It Felt Like A Movie'

Speaking to reporters after Wednesday’s loss to Utah for the first time since he was traded from the Lakers to the Hornets and then sent back to the Lakers when they decided to void the deal, Dalton Knecht said it was a “crazy” few days, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

“It felt like a movie,” the rookie forward said.

According to Knecht, he was called into Rob Pelinka‘s office last Wednesday, a day before the trade deadline, and was informed by the Lakers’ general manager that he was being sent to Charlotte along with Cam Reddish and draft assets in exchange for Mark Williams.

“It was hard,” Knecht said. “I got drafted here, so L.A. means a lot.”

Knecht initially flew from Los Angeles to Charlotte last Thursday and reported to his new team before flying to Detroit on Saturday ahead of the Hornets’ game vs. the Pistons on Sunday. While he was in Detroit, he heard from Pelinka again and learned that the deal had fallen through due to concerns about Williams’ physical. Knecht flew back to L.A. on Sunday and met up with Pelinka and head coach J.J. Redick on Monday.

“Rob called me and said, ‘You’re coming back,'” the 23-year-old said. “I was just excited to go out there and hoop, no matter where I was going. … I just want to go hoop. I told that to J.J. and Rob. I get it’s a business, so at the end of the day, I told them, ‘Let’s just go play basketball.'”

Knecht made the transition back to his former team smoothly enough, returning to the rotation on Wednesday and scoring 10 points while going 3-of-7 on three-pointers.

Williams, meanwhile, wasn’t active for Charlotte’s games on Sunday, Monday, or Wednesday, having been listed on the injury report as “not with team.” Reddish was inactive on Monday and Wednesday for the Lakers for “personal reasons” following the birth of his child (Twitter link via Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times).

The Hornets have reportedly been in touch with the NBA to inquire about disputing the Lakers’ assessment of Williams’ health. The league’s rules give teams autonomy to make their own decisions on physicals, so the idea of reversing the trade again figures to be a non-starter, but Knecht told reporters on Wednesday he has “no clue” how Charlotte’s challenge could play out.

“I’m just doing what I love to do, going out there and playing,” he said, per McMenamin. “Whatever happens, happens. I’m just going to compete hard wherever I go, and hopefully it’s L.A. Whatever happens, I’m just going to go out there and compete.”