Dalton Knecht’s Lakers Future Takes Concerning Turn Ahead of Final Roster Cut

Before the 2026-27 NBA season tips off for the Los Angeles Lakers on Oct. 21 against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena, the team has to cut its roster down to 15 players.

Aside from the two training camp additions of William Kyle III and Cole Swider, the Lakers’ roster currently stands at 16 players, which means a move must be made over the next few weeks to get down to the maximum allowable 15.

A few notable players are likely on the roster bubble during training camp, with former first-round draft pick Dalton Knecht being one of them.

Dalton Knecht Expected to Be ‘Odd Man Out’ of Lakers Final Roster

Knecht hasn’t really been the same player since the Lakers included him in a trade to the Charlotte Hornets to acquire big man Mark Williams. The trade was ultimately rescinded by the Lakers after they didn’t like what they saw in Williams’ physical, putting Knecht in the awkward position of having to return to Los Angeles.

The University of Tennessee product’s confidence seemed to have been shaken by the trade, and now his immediate future with the team is in question, with rival executives predicting he’ll ultimately get waived during the final roster move, according to Khobi Price of The California Post.

Not a good sign for Knecht, whom multiple rival executives expect to be the odd man out as the Lakers look to trim their roster from 16 players on standard NBA deals to the league maximum of 15.

Other notable candidates to potentially get cut or traded before the deadline are Bronny James, Jaden Hardy and Jarred Vanderbilt.

General manager Rob Pelinka made it clear during his media day press conference that the team is considering consolidation trades to get the roster down to 15 players, meaning they’d send out players and bring back one.

If a trade can’t be made or the team decides not to go that route, Knecht could very well be the player the Lakers consider waiving.

JJ Redick: Dalton Knecht is ‘Hungry to Play’

After practice on Thursday, Lakers head coach JJ Redick was asked about what he’s seen from Knecht during the NBA offseason and throughout camp.

"First of all, he's been a pro,” Redick said of Knecht. “He's been in the gym. Like he has since Day 1, he has worked his butt off all offseason. And he's had a good three days of practice. So I don't think his approach changes. I know he's hungry to play and hungry to earn a spot in the rotation."

Redick may just be saying all the right things about Knecht in order to keep his value up or make it easier to land with another team if he doesn’t make the final roster.

The fact is, Knecht still has a chance to prove his worth, but the clock is ticking.

Dalton Knecht Maintains His Confidence is ‘Always High’

During Lakers media day, Knecht was asked about his confidence level as the team needs to make one more cut before the start of the 2026-27 season.

“It's always high,” Knecht said. “My confidence will never drop, no matter what the situation is. I know what type of player I am and what I'm capable of. So I always just say whenever I'm on the court that I'm one of the best players on that court.”

It remains to be seen if his confidence level will be enough to convince the Lakers brass that he’s worth holding onto for a third season.

Knecht has played in 132 regular-season games for the Lakers over the last two seasons, averaging 7.1 points and 2.2 rebounds per game, shooting 46 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from beyond the arc.

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