The Los Angeles Lakers are waiving Dalton Knecht, the No. 17 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania reported Monday. The move trims the roster to 15 players two days before the regular-season opener, and that means Bronny James keeps his spot despite a rough preseason.
Knecht had been battling James and Jaden Hardy for the 15th and final spot. Ultimately, the Lakers decided to waive the 6-foot-5 forward.
Why the Los Angeles Lakers Are Waiving Dalton Knecht
The Lakers had 16 players on guaranteed contracts and needed to get down to 15 before opening night. The team reportedly tried to fix the crunch with a consolidation trade but couldn’t make one. The Lakers had also failed to find a taker for Knecht at last season’s trade deadline and again this summer.
That left the third-year wing, who is owed about $4.2 million this season and had a team option for 2027-28, as the odd man out.
Lakers podcaster Trevor Lane reacted within minutes.
“As expected, Dalton Knecht’s time in LA comes to an end,” he wrote.
Lakers coach JJ Redick had been candid about Knecht’s standing on Friday, the day the team closed its preseason against the Denver Nuggets. He said the biggest change was the team itself, from its needs to the fit, and that he thought Knecht had gotten better as a player over the last two years.
Then he added, “I just think coming into this year, we added a lot of wings and he’s in a tough spot right now.”
Knecht, 25, sounded confident when he spoke with The Athletic’s Dan Woike that day: “I don’t think anything has changed as a player. I still go out there, I still think I am the best player and best shooter when I step out on the court.”
One fan was blunt about Los Angeles’ track record in the draft. “Yet another colossal failure of a 1st round draft pick by the Lakers, only 2 years ago,” they wrote.
Another fan was more wistful.
“Genuinely thought he was going to be an all-star caliber player after this game,” they wrote.
One influencer kept it short, calling it the “end of an era.”
Knecht’s role had been shrinking since his rookie season, when he played 19.2 minutes per game. During that season, at the February 2025 trade deadline, the Lakers agreed to send him to the Charlotte Hornets for Mark Williams.
The deal was rescinded after Williams failed the Lakers’ physical. Last season, the former Tennessee standout averaged 4.2 points in 10.2 minutes and made 34.2% of his 3-point attempts per game. This preseason, he scored 11 points in four games on 3-of-12 shooting, including 1-of-7 from deep.
With Knecht getting waived, some focused on what this means for James.
“Bronny James is here to stay,” one fan wrote.
James struggled throughout the preseason, and Redick was blunt about it.
“I thought he had a really nice September and a good summer with us. I don’t think he’s played well in the four preseason games, but he’s had good practices,” Redick admitted.
Redick added that some of it came down to rhythm and the groups around James, who had played a lot of second-half minutes alongside the team’s two-way players.
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James finished the preseason with 11 points in five games. He shot 4-of-16 from the field and 1-of-8 from 3, with 14 assists and 12 turnovers.
The Lakers open the regular season on Wednesday against the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena, then host the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.