The Los Angeles Lakers have a final cut to make before the start of the NBA season to get under the league’s 15-man roster limit, and the two names on the chopping block are Dalton Knecht and Jaden Hardy.
Both have on very different paths to find themselves where they are now on this Lakers team. Knecht has been with the franchise for a few seasons and has yet to crack the rotation. New reports reveal the team already tried trading him once this summer.
Hardy, meanwhile, is a new addition to the team after being involved in the Deandre Ayton trade. Though his role isn’t set in stone, signs point to him getting the final roster spot over Knecht, which would be great news for the young player still trying to carve out a role in the NBA.
Jaden Hardy Expected To Beat Out Dalton Knecht For Final Lakers Roster Spot, Nothing Set In Stone
According to recent comments made by Lakers insider Jovan Buha, despite both Knecht and Hardy being on the chopping block, whether it’s through a trade or a final roster cut, the latter is expected to get the nod to stay with the team for the upcoming season.
“I would say Dalton and Hardy are probably the two guys they’re looking to get off of,” he said. “If they can’t, then they have to waive one of them. And I think at this point, Hardy is more established. He’s previously played with Luka on that Finals team in 2024, and I think Dalton would be the one that gets waived.”
Additionally, as NBA insider Brett Siegel recently reported, after the Lakers nearly traded Knecht for Buddy Hield, (in what’s now the second time the third-year shooter was almost dealt), he’s on the outside of this impending roster cut.
“There’s going to be a lot of pressure on Dalton Knecht to fight for this roster spot with Jaden Hardy in training camp,” he said. “One of them is most likely going to be cut, and it wouldn’t shock me if it ended up being Dalton Knecht, but it really does depend on what happens here in training camp for the Lakers.”
Now Knecht is facing the fire, with him being the likely name not on the roster by the time opening night comes around.
“Overall, the Lakers’ roster crunch is certainly centered on Knecht. He is a player the team has been trying to move for quite some time (and actually did if you remember the failed Mark Williams trade with Charlotte), as things just haven’t worked out for the 25-year-old,” he wrote.
To be clear, both players are still the most likely candidates to be waived or traded. If the Lakers can find a ‘2 for 1’ roster consolidation trade, neither should feel safe. Still, as Buha and Siegel reported, Hardy has a better chance of staying in town compared to Knecht.
Signs Point To LA’s New Player Taking A Leap
If the Lakers do keep Hardy, there’s potentially a higher chance he sees more success on the team this season compared to Knecht.
Recently, Hardy was named by Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report as a player poised to take a leap.
“Some reason for optimism stems from his late-season run with the Washington Wizards last season, where Hardy shot 42.0 from three while averaging 12.6 points in 20.4 minutes off the bench,” Swartz wrote. “This kind of hot shooting from deep will pair nicely alongside Luka Dončić, although there would be some defensive concerns.”
Through his first four NBA seasons, Hardy has averaged 8.4 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 14.9 minutes through 235 total games on the Dallas Mavericks and Washington Wizards. His defense remains questionable, but the good news is that the 24-year-old addressed that during Lakers Media Day.
“This summer, I’ve done a tremendous amount of work … on my game, specifically, on the defensive end,” he told reporters. “That is something that I really prioritized this summer.”
If Hardy wants to stick around in Los Angeles, he’ll need to improve on defense. He’ll likely be a reserve player, but giving head coach JJ Redick ten to 15 minutes of hard-nosed defense a game is probably his best route for continuing his NBA career.
For the time being, Hardy should feel safer than Knecht, but there’s no guarantee the Lakers choose him over their former first-round pick.
The NBA is a dangerous and brutal business, as the two players are seeing up close and personal right now.
Jaden Hardy Dealt Good News As Lakers Expected To Cut Dalton Knecht