Lakers predicted to part ways with $18M former first-round blunder to end disappointing stint image
The Los Angeles Lakers have had a pretty interesting offseason, to say the least, as they have added and subtracted from the roster quite a bit. It all started with the blockbuster trade for center Walker Kessler.
However, after all of the roster moves they have made this summer, the Lakers have created some potential problems for themselves moving forward. Los Angeles will have to part ways with at least one player before rosters have to be finalized.
“There are, however, obvious holes. With 16 roster spots, the Lakers would need to get rid of at least one player, though they can carry as many as 20 through training camp in October," Heavy.com's Sean Deveney wrote.
It will be interesting to see what LA does next, especially as the organization continues trying to add another name to the roster through a potential sign-and-trade. Since the beginning of the summer, the Lakers have been trying to trade Jarred Vanderbilt and Dalton Knecht.
“The Lakers are actively shopping Dalton Knecht and Jarred Vanderbilt in trade talks. After gaining two second-round picks in the Deandre Ayton trade, Los Angeles could consolidate those assets in a deal immediately for a starting-caliber wing," NBA reporter Evan Sidery wrote.
If no moves are made by the end of training camp, the Lakers will have to part ways with someone. Lake Show Life’s Svyatoslav Rovenchuk believes Knecht could be the roster casualty Los Angeles ultimately moves on from.
“When looking up and down the Lakers roster, Dalton Knecht is an easy conclusion as to who the 16th player is in the pecking order. That makes him a prime candidate to leave the team via trade or an outright release. Releasing Knecht would only put dead money on the Lakers' cap books for the 2026-27 season. That is a fate they should be able to stomach,” Rovenchuk wrote.
It has not been the stint Knecht envisioned after entering the NBA as the SEC Player of the Year. However, following his electric start to his rookie season, things never returned to the same level after his trade was rescinded.
Knecht is entering the final stretch of his $18 million rookie contract. For the sake of Knecht’s future, a trade would likely be the best-case scenario, but if that does not happen, a release could be the next option.
There are teams around the league that could potentially give Knecht another opportunity, allowing him to prove that he can still compete at the highest level.
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