Lakers' Dalton Knecht reflects on return since rescinded trade with ...

SALT LAKE CITY — Los Angeles Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht said “it felt like a movie” after being traded to the Charlotte Hornets and then back to the Lakers after Los Angeles rescinded the trade three days later over a failed physical by Hornets center Mark Williams.

While shooting free throws at the Lakers’ practice facility on Feb. 5, Knecht was called into the office of Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka and informed of the deal.

“It was hard,” Knecht said Wednesday after his first game back in the Lakers’ 131-119 loss to the Utah Jazz. “I got drafted here, so L.A. means a lot. So, hearing that and then I go to Charlotte in the morning with one of my guys and get introduced and start meeting all those people and then fly out to Detroit to what was called my ‘debut game,’ to then, now I’m flying back to L.A. Rob (Pelinka) called me and said, ‘You’re coming back.’ ”

Knecht said he met with Pelinka and Lakers coach JJ Redick upon returning to Los Angeles and told them that he just wanted to get back on the floor and move past the situation.

“I get it’s a business, so at the end of the day, I told them let’s just go play basketball,” Knecht said.

Knecht didn’t land in Los Angeles until late Sunday night, so Pelinka and Redick decided Knecht miss Monday’s blowout win over the Jazz and instead make his return on Wednesday in the Lakers’ final game before the All-Star break.

Knecht shared that his teammates embraced him with open arms as each player hugged him and asked him how he was doing. Then, they jokingly referred to his first game back as his “debut” game again.

Knecht scored 10 points (3-of-7 shooting) and had one steal in 17 minutes in his return.

“It was a crazy time,” Knecht said of his journey. “Not too many people have done that, come back (after being traded). But at the end of the day, I just wanted to hoop.”

The biggest difference between Knecht’s previous game as a Laker on Feb. 4 and his return against the Jazz was the presence of Luka Dončić, who Knecht played with for the first time.

“It’s crazy,” Knecht said. “The passes that he was making out there, it’s crazy. They told me the first thing back is no matter what, when he has the ball, be ready to shoot. He’s going to get it to you, no matter what. And seeing a couple of passes to AR (Austin Reaves), Bron (LeBron), he wasn’t even looking. So it was crazy. I’m excited.”

As for the Hornets’ dispute with the NBA about the Lakers rescinding the trade, Knecht said he hasn’t heard any updates but is ready for whatever comes next.

“I had no clue, to be honest,” Knecht said. “I’m just doing what I love to do, going out there and playing. And like I said, 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. I don’t care about anything. I just want to go play.”

The Lakers enter the All-Star break at 32-20 and No. 5 in the Western Conference, having won 12 of their past 15 games.

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(Photo: Harry How / Getty Images)