The Los Angeles Lakers are in a roster crunch and must make a difficult decision on third-year wing Dalton Knecht before Monday's 2 p.m. PT deadline. With 16 fully guaranteed contracts, the team must cut one player, and multiple reports indicate Knecht is the most likely to be waived if a trade cannot be finalized. This comes as the Lakers prepare for their next preseason fixture against the Denver Nuggets on October 16, following a recent 89-101 preseason loss to the Golden State Warriors on October 13.
The Lakers have actively tried to trade Dalton Knecht, along with forward Jarred Vanderbilt, for nearly two full seasons. Team officials have sought a consolidation trade that would package multiple players for an upgrade, ideally at starting power forward or backup center. Lakers reporter Jovan Buha has tracked these efforts closely. He stated the team will explore a trade right up to the deadline. "But if they can’t and it comes down to waiving someone, my prediction would be Dalton Knecht is the one that gets waived," Buha said.
This prolonged search for a trade partner has yielded no success. Buha noted the Lakers have been shopping both players for well over a year, including at last season's trade deadline and throughout this offseason. The competition for the final roster spot appears to be between Knecht and guard Jaden Hardy. Analyst Svyatoslav Rovenchuk pointed out that Hardy hasn't done enough to secure the spot either, making it a true two-man race.
Knecht's recent play has not helped his case for staying with the Lakers. In three preseason contests, he managed just 11 total points on 3-of-11 shooting. He also committed six turnovers in roughly 40 minutes of action. This preseason struggle continues a concerning trend from the 2025-26 regular season.
Last season, the 25-year-old averaged 4.2 points and 1.4 rebounds in 10.2 minutes per game. His three-point shooting fell to 34.2 percent. Those numbers marked a significant drop from his rookie year, where he put up 9.1 points per game and shot 37.6 percent from deep in 19.2 minutes per contest. The declining production has made him expendable as the Lakers finalize their group.
The immediate deadline is firm. Teams must set their 15-man standard rosters by 2 p.m. Pacific Time on October 19, one day before the 2026-27 regular season tips off. General Manager Rob Pelinka is surely aware of the ticking clock. If Knecht is waived, he could attract interest from rebuilding teams like the Chicago Bulls or Charlotte Hornets who might take a chance on his size and perimeter shooting potential.
Another deadline follows shortly after. The Lakers hold a team option worth approximately $6.45 million on Knecht for the 2027-28 season, a decision that will need to be made soon. For now, the focus is on the final preseason game and the impending cut. Fans can track the team's final roster moves and the upcoming season schedule on our schedule page. The Lakers' preseason has been a mixed bag, with wins over Sacramento (127-103 on Oct. 5 and 114-110 on Oct. 8) and a heavy loss to Golden State (98-124 on Oct. 6) preceding their most recent defeat.
