Dalton Knecht was listed day-to-day on the Lakers' Thursday injury report with an undisclosed issue, with no prior status on file for him. He is expected back October 13, putting his status in question for the preseason game against the Kings that same night.
What happened
Knecht was listed day-to-day on the injury report issued Thursday, October 8 at 9:16 PM ET, with the issue marked undisclosed under the category "other." No previous status was listed for him before this entry. The report's comment pointed to his performance two days earlier, when he scored 11 points on 3-for-8 shooting, including 1-for-4 from three and 4-for-4 at the line, with a rebound and an assist in 22 minutes during the Lakers' 124-98 preseason loss. His expected return is listed as October 13.
What it means for the Lakers
The Lakers host the Kings Thursday at 10:30 PM ET on ESPN2. Last season Knecht averaged 4.2 points, 1.4 rebounds and 0.4 assists in 10.2 minutes across 54 games, a bench scoring role off the wing. With an expected return date of October 13, any minutes without him would fall to the players already logging the heaviest rotation minutes: Luka Doncic at 35.8 minutes, Austin Reaves at 34.5, LeBron James at 33.2, and wing depth such as Jake LaRavia at 25.1 minutes and Luke Kennard at 23.0. The Lakers have no regular-season games yet, with the 2026-27 season not started and the team sitting at 0-0.
What to watch
The next injury report will show whether Knecht's day-to-day status changes ahead of the October 13 target date. No other timeline details on this issue have been announced. The Lakers continue preseason play with the Kings game Thursday night, and Knecht's next listing will clarify whether he is available before the regular season opens.
Is Dalton Knecht playing vs Kings?
He is listed day-to-day with an undisclosed issue on the Thursday, October 8 injury report, which covers the game against the Kings that night. His availability has not been confirmed beyond that day-to-day designation.
When will Dalton Knecht be back?
His expected return is listed as October 13.