The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to waive Dalton Knecht before the start of the 2026-27 NBA season, but with less than a week before the final deadline to make that move, he remains on the roster.
Both Knecht and Jaden Hardy are the two top candidates to be waived by the Lakers to get to the 15-man roster limit for the upcoming season, and with opening night quickly approaching, the race continues as both battle it out to stay on the team.
But while previously all signs pointed to Knecht being the one off the team, the third-year might have gotten a glimmer of hope that he still has a chance of sticking around in what would be a somewhat shocking turn of events.
Dalton Knecht Handed Shred Of Hope Before Lakers Cut Ties
Writing for LakeShowLife.com, despite all the recent reports, Svyatoslav Rovenchuk believes it’s still a two-man race between Knecht and Hardy for who will get the final roster spot.
“Just like that, the stage is set for Hardy and Knecht to duke it out in the final preseason matchups against the Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets,” he wrote. “The last two games of the preseason could also play a sizable part in helping the Lakers make their decision. Perhaps a standout performance from either Hardy or Knecht can juice up the confidence which the organization holds for one of the two.”
Though each player has two more games to prove why they deserve to stay with the Lakers, Rovenchuk brought up the Lakers’ positional depth as a key factor that could decide who stays as goes.
Hardy is a guard, for which the Lakers have many. Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Collin Sexton, Quinten Grimes, Matisse Thybulle, and even Bronny James are all expected to get minutes in the backcourt, which doesn’t leave a lot of playing time for Hardy.
On the other end, Knecht plays as a wing and might be better suited for minutes with the forwards. Los Angeles has Jake LaRavia, Jarred Vanderbilt, Ziaire Williams, Adou Thiero, Cameron Carr, and some two-way players that are expected to fill the depth chart at the small and power forward positions. That’s not as deep or experienced as the backcourt, which could give the Lakers another reason to keep Knecht around.
He’s also a valuable shooter, something the team desperately needs. His defense remains questionable, but if keeping the wing’s size and three-point shot is a priority for the Lakers (which they’ve said in the past), he could be in a better position to stick around.
“Knecht is certainly last among his positional group, just like Hardy. Both are unlikely to have a major on-court impact on the Lakers throughout the upcoming 2026-27 regular season,” Rovenchuk added. “Plus, Hardy has not exactly lit the world on fire during preseason play either.”
Though Knecht and Hardy are still at the bottom of the depth chart in their respective position group, the Lakers are poised to have multiple ball handlers, and perimeter shooting remains a big issue.
If the front office feels that doubling down on forwards who can complement its stars is the right move, that could give the nod to Knecht, despite him previously being named as the top candidate to be waived.
Los Angeles Has Firm Decision Deadline
While there were previous reports saying the Lakers would be hopeful to trade any combination of Knecht, Hardy, or Vanderbilt for either a starting power forward or a backup center, the fact that a deal hasn’t been done likely means there are no strong offers before the season begins.
Moving one or multiple of those players for a roster upgrade would have been the best-case scenario for Los Angeles, but it now feels like cutting ties with Knecht or Hardy and playing out the season with Vanderbilt’s contract on the books is the most likely outcome.
With that, the Lakers have until October 19 to decide who they’ll cut ties with. That’s the day before the NBA season officially begins and when the 15-man rosters must be finalized.
“Oct. 19 at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT is the deadline to have roster sets for NBA Opening Day. Rob Pelinka will surely know that much. No player on the Los Angeles Lakers may be as aware of that looming checkpoint as third-year wing Dalton Knecht,” Rovenchuk wrote. “If the third-year wing has any hope of sticking around in Los Angeles beyond that date, this upcoming week is pivotal for him.”
If somehow the Lakers choose to keep Knecht, another deadline becomes more important as it relates to the player’s contract.
“If Knecht remains with the Lakers after the October 19 roster deadline, Los Angeles will then face another decision regarding his future,” Basketnews.com wrote on the shooting wing’s status with the Lakers. “Knecht has a team option worth approximately $6.45 million for the 2027-28 season.”
But despite the hope Knecht might have, all signs point to him being off the team in a week’s time. He’s been outside the Lakers rotation for a while, and even though head coach JJ Redick praised the young player, he’s likely going to have to find a new team to continue his NBA career.
Both Knecht and Hardy have two more preseason games to prove why they should stay. So far, Knecht has a slight edge in his preseason performances, but that’s by no means a reason to think he’s getting the nod.
What will be more important is how Los Angeles prioritizes its position groups, which could give Knecht a late advantage and save his job, at least for the time being.
Dalton Knecht Handed Good News, Shred Of Hope Before Lakers Cut Ties