Training camp is around the corner, and the Los Angeles Lakers still have more than the required roster limit. Sixteen players are currently on standard deals, leaving L.A. needing trim that number to 15 by the time the season tips off next month.
The most logical thing is to cut a piece, which doesn’t entail good news for the deeper rotational stars like Bronny James and Dalton Knecht. There have been speculations over a move this summer , and the roster situation may change things.
According to general manager Rob Pelinka, there are multiple ways that the franchise will tackle their over-the-max roster situation. But things will boil down to a healthy competition,
“To some extent, going from 16 guys to 15 guys, we have until opening night for the competition to sort of play out and see who the best 15 players are,” Pelinka said during the Lakers start of season press conference.
From training camp to preseason, there would be enough to gauge which players would be on the roster before the Lakers take on the Golden State Warriors in their first game of the 2026-27 season.
What Lakers Roster Competition Means for Bronny James
James played 42 games last season, which was a slight improvement over his rookie year. However, his actual minutes on the floor were still on the lower side. Now that the Lakers have added backcourt and wing depth, rotation opportunities will be narrower.
Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton are there for the reserve guard minutes, with Grimes probably leading a role as a starter. Rookie Cameron Carr, Jaden Hardy and Knecht are also in the depth mix with James.
“The backend point of it would be before we play the Warriors so the next month will kind of answer those questions,” Pelinka said.
The Lakers could still explore a trade that would send at least a couple of pieces in exchange for one player. This path looks to be the best one, but finding a trade partner at this stage of the offseason may be a hassle.
Would James Fancy a Move Out?
James has always been an open book this summer, with one foot in and one out of L.A. following speculations that he may follow his father and leave the franchise. That has not been the case so far ever since the Lakers guaranteed his modest salary for the upcoming season.
Heading into his third year in the league, James may not be all that welcoming to the idea of toggling between the NBA and the G League. However, the reality is that last season’s game time happened because of injuries. Getting an improvement from last year would be a tough task—almost impossible — unless he plays.
For a franchise hoping to compete with Luka Doncic, handing James minutes may not be at the top of their list of things to do for now.
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