The Los Angeles Lakers have put together a very deep roster after making a flurry of moves this offseason. But that depth has also created a problem. With 16 guaranteed contracts currently on the books, the Lakers must eventually trim their roster down to the regular-season limit of 15 players.
According to Lakers insiders Jovan Buha, Trevor Lane, and Iztok Franko, one player seems to have emerged as the most likely casualty: Dalton Knecht.
During a recent episode of Buha’s Block, the trio discussed who could ultimately lose their roster spot if the Lakers fail to make another trade.
Trevor Lane: “I think the interesting thing is right now they’ve got, what, 16 guaranteed contracts on the books. If they don’t change something before, who’s the odd man out? Who gets cut in order to make room? Now, obviously, they’ve got a long way to go. It’s not a problem for today necessarily, but who do they move on from?”
Jovan Buha: “And at that point, it doesn’t really matter from a financial perspective unless you’re waiving someone who’s got additional years. So I guess it’s a competition between Bronny, Jaden Hardy, and Dalton Knecht. I’d probably lean Dalton.”
Trevor Lane: “Me too. That was where I went on my last show. People were asking that, and I said, ‘Yeah, I would probably cut Dalton Knecht.’ Ouch. Seventeenth pick.”
Iztok Franko: “And if you go back again, last year, at least early in the season, he was part of the rotation. So I think the upgrade of the depth is real.”
Jovan Buha: “And, like, yeah, of those three, I think he’s the guy who has the hardest pathway to minutes. I guess if Sexton gets injured, there’s a clear pathway for Bronny or Hardy to replace Sexton as a placeholder for the time being. If any of the other wings get injured, it’s just play one of the other wings more minutes, and it’s not put Dalton in the rotation. So he’s the one that’s the most expendable.”
Iztok Franko: “If you want to play Carr or Knecht, you just give all the minutes to Carr. He’s the same archetype but much more athletic, a much better version. So I think it doesn’t make sense.”
The Lakers insiders’ discussion shows just how stunning a fall it has been for Knecht.
As a rookie, the former No. 17 overall pick averaged 9.1 points and 2.8 rebounds while shooting 46.1% from the field and 37.6% from three-point range across 78 games, averaging 19.2 minutes per contest. He looked like one of the Lakers’ most valuable young pieces.
But last season, everything changed.
Knecht averaged just 4.2 points and 1.4 rebounds while shooting 45.5% from the field and 34.2% from three-point range in 54 games. His playing time also dropped to 10.2 minutes per game, and his value around the league has fallen significantly.
Questions about his game have also grown, especially regarding his basketball IQ and mental preparedness.
Knecht is entering the third season of his four-year, $18.4 million rookie contract and will earn approximately $4.2 million next season. The Lakers also hold a $6.4 million team option for the 2028-29 season, with the deadline to exercise that option falling on October 31, 2026. If the Lakers were to waive him, doing so before that deadline would make the most sense financially.
Bronny James, meanwhile, appears to have earned the confidence of the coaching staff. His dad might not be there, but he’s impressed the Lakers with his work ethic and defensive capabilities.
He averaged 2.9 points and 1.2 assists while shooting 41.9% from the field and an encouraging 38.6% from three-point range last season. The Lakers see him as a developmental piece, and he’s under team control on a four-year, $7.8 million rookie contract, which will pay him just $2.2 million next season.
Jaden Hardy, the Lakers’ newest addition, is also unlikely to be released. The 24-year-old averaged 9.2 points while shooting 42.4% from the field and 39.3% from three-point range last season. He’s entering the second year of his three-year, $18 million contract and will make about $6 million next season. The Lakers also hold a $6 million team option for the 2027-28 season.
But he still possesses great upside as a scoring guard off the bench. Of course, the Lakers would rather not waive anyone at all. The ideal scenario would be packaging multiple players in a trade for a starting-caliber forward such as Jonathan Kuminga or P.J. Washington.
But negotiations are still ongoing and have proven difficult. The Lakers may not have any choice but to waive someone.
If that happens, all signs point toward Dalton Knecht. Once viewed as a key piece of the Lakers’ future, he now appears to have fallen behind the competition on one of the NBA’s deepest rosters.
