The Los Angeles Lakers kept everyone waiting on the edge of their seats until the very last minute to make their final roster decision, but the team has now officially waived Dalton Knecht and kept Bronny James on the roster for the upcoming 2026-27 NBA season.
However, in the moments after the Lakers cut ties with Knecht, choosing instead to keep James, a post went viral that hinted at the forward’s true feelings about LeBron James‘ son.
The Lakers had tried to trade Knecht, but to no avail. Now, he will become an unrestricted free agent after his tenure in Los Angeles didn’t necessarily go as planned.
Truth Behind Viral Dalton Knecht Post On Bronny James
In a post shared on social media by the account NBA Centel, Knecht appeared to throw shade at James in a post of his own.
“Bronny over me?!,” the caption read, seemingly from the player who was waved, taking a shot at his now-former Lakers teammate.
“Bronny over me?!”
However, this post appears to be fake. The NBA Centel account is known for its viral parodies, as seen with some recent James Harden posts.
On so many other occasions, the account has been known to capitalize on internet buzz of certain NBA news events, and that was no different after the Lakers cut ties with Knecht and kept James.
Knecht has not yet spoken publicly about getting waived by the Lakers, and just to make it clear, the post and his comments on James were a parody and fake.
Now, the Los Angeles franchise is at the 15-man roster limit, and with Knecht now gone, both James and Jaden Hardy are safe from the impending roster cut that also had their names on the chopping block.
What Did The Lakers Player Actually Say
Though all the buzz around the Lakers was that Knecht was the most likely candidate to be waived, the player himself didn’t give off that impression.
In a recent interview with Dan Woike of The Athletic, Knecht said that he had no indication about his impending status either on or off the team’s roster.
“They haven’t talked to me nothing about that,” he told Woike before he was waived. “Yeah, you see (things) … people send me stuff. All that (expletive) is (expletive). A lot of it … I really understand it is a business. It happens.”
Knecht continued: “Still got a shot here and still keep playing. They drafted me for a reason, so I just go out there and keep hooping and stay confident. I don’t think anything has changed from that…No matter who I am out there with. I think nothing has changed. It is just part of the business and no hard feelings. They understand. I came back here and they showed open arms, so it’s cool.”
When asked about Knecht and if he would be the Lakers’ final roster cut, head coach JJ Redick was blunt about where the 17th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft stood on the roster.
“The team changed. The needs changed, the fit changed,” he said of the 25-year-old. “I think he got better as a player over the last two years. I think each guy has, particularly last year, each guy got plenty of opportunities with the amount of injuries we had. So I just think coming into this year, we added a lot of wings and he’s in a tough spot right now.”
As mentioned, the Lakers tried, but failed to trade Knecht. James was also mentioned in trade rumors, but with rosters now finalized, he’ll start the season in Los Angeles.
Knecht will hit waivers and become a free agent soon, as, despite no longer playing in the Purple and Gold, he still has a chance to continue his NBA career elsewhere.
What Did Dalton Knecht Say To Bronny? Truth On Viral Post After Lakers Cut Ties