Lakers predicted to trade Dalton Knecht for $24 million ex-Clippers playoff hero

1 hour ago 3

It’s hard to imagine the Los Angeles Lakers declining to make an additional move or two despite bolstering their frontcourt (Sandro Mamukelashvili and Walker Kessler) and wing depth (Collin Sexton, Quentin Grimes, and Jaden Hardy).

NBA insider Jovan Buha predicts the Lakers will focus on identifying a valuable three-and-D contributor to help round out their roster and bolster their title hopes. Specifically, Buha believes Los Angeles could swap Dalton Knecht for a former Los Angeles Clippers playoff hero.

“I would (trade Dalton Knecht and Jarred Vanderbilt for Terance Mann),” Buha said. "It’s (Mann’s contract) is the same timeline as Vando’s. You save money this year. I think they would decline Dalton’s team option, so you’d be adding roughly $3 million next year. I like Terance Mann.”

There’s no question that Mann is well-known for his remarkable offensive display against the Utah Jazz in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals. With the Clippers holding a 3-2 series lead over the Jazz and facing a daunting 25-point deficit at one point, Mann entered a zone and became virtually impossible to contain.

The Florida State product finished with 39 points on 71.4% of his field goals and 70% of his three-point jumpers in the Clippers' come-from-behind 131-119 victory over Utah (Los Angeles lost to the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference Semifinals).

While Mann’s overall NBA resume is far from stellar, he’s been a solid two-way contributor worthy of significant playing time in a reserve role. Mann averaged 7.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game with the Brooklyn Nets last season, shooting 46.7% from the field and 36.4% from three-point land.

While Rui Hachimura and Jonathan Kuminga are undoubtedly better wing options for Los Angeles, landing Mann would be viewed as a positive move by most.

More NBA news:

Read Entire Article