The Los Angeles Lakers ultimately didn’t end up landing many of their top trade and free agents this summer to pair with Luka Doncic, but after the latest development from the rival New York Knicks, another pathway to landing several key players has emerged.
The Knicks recently signed several players, but won’t have room on their final roster for all of them. A few of the names have been linked to the Lakers in the past, and when New York makes its final roster cuts before the upcoming season, Los Angeles could land the cast-off names to fill the holes on the roster.
The Lakers had a busy offseason, but getting one or two more proven contributors would be a strong capstone to a summer highlighted by building around Doncic for the future.
Knicks Offer Direct Path To Lakers Top Free Agent Targets
Writing for LakeShowLife.com, Maxwell Ogden explained how there is a clear path for the Lakers to still land the names atop their free agent target list, as New York just doesn’t have the roster space to keep all of the players they just signed.
“The New York Knicks currently have five players competing for their final two roster spots: Ochai Agbaji, Bruce Brown, Drew Eubanks, John Konchar, and James Wiseman,” he wrote. “The three wings from that group are NBA-caliber players who just so happen to check the boxes that the Los Angeles Lakers need to prioritize along the wings.”
Though adding a big man is intriguing, Ogden believes the Lakers should target Agbaji, Brown, and Konchar if any of them hit free agency again after the Knicks waive them.
“Agbaji is perhaps the most intriguing player on this list due to his 3-and-D potential. At 25 years of age, he’s displayed the ability to fill that exact role,” he wrote about the wing that was previously linked to the Lakers in free agency. “Though his jumper fell apart in 2024-25, Agbaji still ranked in the 84th percentile in perimeter isolation defense and the 61st percentile in off-ball chaser defense. For a Lakers side that needs wing defenders with ideal size and athleticism, Agbaji is simply too talented to outright overlook.”
Brown and Konchar would potentially offer more veteran leadership, but in terms of Agbaji as a single free agent target would fit the Lakers’ current timeline and has a chance to show a higher ceiling as a backup wing than the other two, specifically on defense.
LA Still Has A Roster Issue
Regardless of if one or any of these players hit free agency again or not, the Lakers are facing a roster issue of their own, the exact one they hope to capitalize on from the Knicks.
Los Angeles has 16 players on the roster, one more than the league allows heading into the season.
That means, even if the team doesn’t make any other moves, they’ll still have to waive at least one name.
As Ogden also wrote, there are a few candidates on the table who won’t be laying in the Purple and Gold next year. Right now the Lakers only need to waive or cut one, but if they are eyeing the potential of someone like Agbaji, that would mean they’d have to cut ties with two players in the next few weeks.
“With this in mind, two of Jaden Hardy, Bronny James, and Dalton Knecht would likely need to be cut—or perhaps a veteran on a one-year deal such as Matisse Thybulle or Ziaire Williams,” he added. “Ideally, the (Lakers) wouldn’t part with Thybulle or Williams, as they’re key defensive contributors who should provide depth at the 3 and 4 spots. That puts Hardy, James, and Knecht under the spotlight—and though it would hurt, parting with one or two of them appears to be a necessary evil already.”
There have been no exact reports about who won’t be on the Lakers roster by the time the season begins, but each of these names is realistic to not be on the team when the league requires rosters to be finalized.
Some might be disappointed with what the Lakers did this summer, and fairly so. This offseason was expected to be massive for Los Angeles, and they failed to land any of the huge names they were linked to in free agency or trade rumors.
However, as the 2026-27 NBA season approaches, there is still room for change, as a few of these names currently with the Knicks could become available soon. If that does become the case, expect the Lakers to pounce on one final roster move before their upcoming campaign begins.
Lakers Get Good News As Path Emerges To Steal Knicks’ Free Agent Signings