The Los Angeles Lakers have trimmed their roster from 16 players to 15 ahead of the roster cut deadline on Monday.
And, unsurprisingly, the odd man out was forward Dalton Knecht. After the Lakers were unable to find a trade partner before the deadline, they decided to waive the former first-round pick.
The Lakers entered the day with 16 players on guaranteed contracts and had been exploring trades before deciding to release the 25-year-old forward.
They are now down to 15, and here's where the roster stands following Knecht's release.
Guards
Luka Doncic, Cameron Carr, Quentin Grimes, Jaden Hardy, Bronny James, Austin Reaves, Collin Sexton, Matisse Thybulle
Forwards
Jake LaRavia, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Adou Thiero, Jarred Vanderbilt, Ziaire Williams
Centers
Walker Kessler, Kevon Looney
Two-Way Players
Arthur Kaluma, Chris Manon, AK Okereke
The Lakers have 18 players, with three on two-way deals.
Dalton Knecht’s Lakers Career Took a Turn Nobody Expected
Those 15 players on guaranteed deals will be looking to lead the Lakers back to glory in this new era of basketball for the team.
The Lakers were looking to move on from Knecht via trade. It was reported over the weekend that they held discussions with several teams, like the Bucks, Bulls and Jazz. However, nothing materialized.
Los Angeles has moved on without a trade.
Knecht's last season-plus was a tough stretch for the former Tennessee Volunteer.
The Lakers drafted Knecht with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. He showed promise in his rookie season but struggled to maintain consistency under JJ Redick for a variety of reasons.
Shooting and creating his own shot was his calling card; however, he never translated that consistently in the NBA.
Knecht got off to a strong start to his NBA career, averaging 9.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game while shooting 46.5% from the field and 35.8% from beyond the arc.
However, his time in Los Angeles took an unexpected turn at the 2025 NBA trade deadline. The Lakers agreed to send Knecht, Cam Reddish, a 2031 unprotected first-round pick and a 2030 pick swap to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Mark Williams.
The trade was rescinded, and Knecht was never the same player after that.
Lakers May Need More Roster Upgrades Before the 2027 Trade Deadline
The Lakers are confident in their group moving forward, but it's clear they'll need some upgrades before the 2027 NBA trade deadline. If health is on the Lakers' side this season, they have a chance to establish themselves as one of the best teams in the league and certainly in the Western Conference.
The Lakers 2026-27 season will begin on Wednesday night against the Golden State Warriors.
Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on YouTube, Facebook, X/Twitter and Instagram for the latest news.
Add us as a preferred source on Google