“It was a crazy time,” Knecht said after scoring 10 points in 17 minutes against the Jazz. “It felt like a movie.”
Knecht said he was at the Lakers’ practice facility on Feb. 5 going through his normal routine before his shooting drills — needing to make 25 shots from the foul line — when he was interrupted after his 20th free throw.
Rob Pelinka, the Lakers’ vice president of basketball operations and general manager, wanted to see Knecht in his office. Knecht was informed he was traded, along with Cam Reddish, a 2030 pick swap and the Lakers’ 2031 first-round pick, to Charlotte for 7-foot center Mark Williams.
“It was hard,” Knecht said. “I got drafted here, so L.A. means a lot.”
Knecht flew from L.A. to Charlotte on Thursday to onboard with his new team. Then he flew from Charlotte to Detroit on Saturday, anticipating his first game with the Hornets coming against the Pistons on Sunday.
Once in Detroit, he heard from Pelinka again. The trade was off.
“Rob called me and said, ‘You’re coming back,’” Knecht said. “I was just excited to go out there and hoop, no matter where I was going.”
