This year’s offseason has been marked by activity for the Los Angeles Lakers. From star-caliber additions like Walker Kessler to essential signings like Kevon Looney and Ziaire Williams, the Purple and Gold have done a tremendous job of solidifying their squad.
While this is largely positive, the Purple and Gold now face a different issue on their hands.
Having addressed several key problems, the Lakers now have an excess of players. With 16 guaranteed contracts, L.A. will be forced to move some players and finalize their 15-man roster before the season begins. In this regard, Dalton Knecht and Bronny James emerge as potential candidates.
For the most part, both Knecht and James have struggled to establish themselves as consistent rotation players, despite expectations for development. Thus, when noting the Lakers’ circumstances, we examine who is more likely to leave Los Angeles.
Should The Lakers Part Ways With Bronny James?
The Lakers’ inclination to move Bronny James would be understandable. Although the team has expressed that James is a valuable asset, they haven’t necessarily been opposed to trading him if it hinted at great returns.
Bronny James possesses the qualities to be a solid rotation piece. Along with incredible athleticism at his size and position, James also has solid fundamentals and noteworthy defensive instincts. While he hasn’t consistently demonstrated these traits on the court, given his age, investing in his potential may be worthwhile.
Since LeBron James‘ departure this summer, questions about Bronny and the security of his position on the roster have been growing. While it was made abundantly clear that Bronny wasn’t connected to his father’s free agency, there may be reason to believe that LeBron’s departure could also affect Bronny.
This primarily stems from Bronny’s performance. There was some optimism that Bronny James would improve as a player in his sophomore season, especially after some solid outings at the Summer League last year. Still, with averages of 2.9 points, 0.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game on 40.9% shooting from the field and 38.6% from three-point range over 42 appearances, the 21-year-old was not impactful enough.
Although James is still playing out his rookie contract, his $2.3 million for the upcoming season was only guaranteed this year. Thus, even though he may still garner some interest from teams looking for a defensive-minded point guard, with a cap hit this low, James may not have much trade value.
Dalton Knecht May Be A More Likely Candidate
In his rookie season, Dalton Knecht showed sparks of brilliance as a scoring punch off the bench and a reliable perimeter threat. However, after the trade with the Charlotte Hornets fell through during last year’s trade deadline, Knecht’s production fell off a cliff.
There was some hope that the 25-year-old would bounce back and have himself a stronger showing during the 2025-26 season. Unfortunately, with averages of 4.2 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 0.4 assists per game while shooting 45.5% from the field and 34.2% from three-point range, this has clearly not been the case.
As things stand, Knecht is far more at risk of being moved than Bronny James. Although the trade interest in both is remarkably low, Knecht’s $4.2 million contract has more value for salary matching than Bronny’s. Given that he has a $6.4 million team option in his contract for the 2027-28 season, teams may also be more inclined to acquire him, as it earns them the flexibility to decline the option.
It is worth noting that Knecht is unlikely to be waived, primarily since the Lakers wouldn’t benefit from having dead money on their roster. Hence, the forward may find himself being packaged in a potential trade.
Currently, the Lakers are involved in talks to acquire Jonathan Kuminga and (potentially) Klay Thompson. While Jarred Vanderbilt and draft compensation appear to form the basis for the Lakers’ trade package, there is reason to believe this could be a solid opportunity to offload Dalton Knecht.
By doing so, the Purple and Gold would effectively be freeing up two roster spots. This would prove valuable as it gives Los Angeles a chance to make vital adjustments later in the season, allowing them to upgrade one of their two-way players to a standard contract in time for the playoffs.
Realistically, the sophomore wing can be a solid contributor. His performances in the G League have made this abundantly clear. But being in the Lakers’ system has not served him well. Hence, teams like the Indiana Pacers have also been floated as potential landing spots.
