Knecht, who arrived in Los Angeles before Dončić—and while Anthony Davis was still James' running mate—was drafted to add some much-needed perimeter shooting to L.A.'s bench. The Lakers' needs changed after the Davis-Dončić swap, and the team tried trading Knecht for Mark Williams before last year's deadline.

Only Williams' failed physical kept Knecht in L.A.

Since that failed trade, Knecht hasn't looked or played like the same range shooter he was at Tennessee or even early in his rookie season. The Lakers, meanwhile, got their center in DeAndre Ayton and started working to retool their guard rotation.

On Tuesday, L.A. added Marcus Smart, who, if healthy, should provide a defensive presence at guard. And he's not the only player Los Angeles has reportedly considered.

"The Lakers held conversations with the Grizzlies regarding Caldwell-Pope when Memphis first acquired him," ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel wrote. "Los Angeles also reached out to the Minnesota Timberwolves about Donte DiVincenzo's availability, but the Wolves were not interested at all, sources said."

While deals for Caldwell-Pope and DiVincenzo didn't materialize, and the Lakers settled on Smart, they may not be finished tinkering with their guard depth.

According to Siegel, Malcolm Brogdon "remains on their radar should the team free up extra funds in a small consolidation trade."

Could Knecht become part of said consolidation trade or be dealt as part of a different package? It feels entirely possible, especially since the Lakers were willing to move him once, and since the 24-year-old's play has suffered ever since.

However, the Lakers shouldn't be willing to give up on Knecht just yet. They shouldn't be willing to trade him for proverbial pennies either, which is what his current trade value amounts to, according to veteran Lakers reporter Jovan Buha.

"Summer League has not helped Knecht’s stock, and I don’t think at this point he is valued as a first-round pick, in terms of an asset valuation," Buha said on his Buha's Block podcast (h/t Ryan Stano of SI.com). "That was what I heard in Vegas from talking to multiple people, non-Lakers people, just gauging what would you give for Dalton Knecht?"

Los Angeles shouldn't be willing to move Knecht after just one season as a throw-in piece or to free up a roster spot. While it's clear that Knecht's confidence needs to be rebuilt, we're still talking about a former SEC Player of the Year who shot 37.6 percent from beyond the arc and 46.1 percent from the field as a rookie. He's also young enough to fit right into a Dončić-centric rebuilding plan.

Is Knecht going to carry the Lakers to a championship as a bench player this season? No, but he still possesses the sort of long-term potential that should be far more valuable to L.A. than whatever it might get for him in a trade right now.

Opinions on Knecht are clearly low, but the Lakers should keep him and continue developing him—if not for their future, for the sake of rebuilding his trade value.