The Los Angeles Lakers’ offseason shopping apparently did not end with their recent spending spree.
NBA insider Jake Fischer reported Tuesday that Los Angeles remains interested in upgrading its wing and forward rotation after losing out on Jonathan Kuminga. Any potential deal could feature former first-round pick Dalton Knecht or defensive specialist Jarred Vanderbilt.
“I do think that the Lakers are still going to be looking at potentially trading Dalton [Knecht], Jarred Vanderbilt,” Fischer said during Bleacher Report’s “NBA Insider Notebook” livestream. “I think there’s plenty of time here before they have to make a decision.”
Fischer added that the Lakers “still want to make some type of trade upgrade at the wing-slash-forward spot” and described their roster as “incomplete” entering the next stage of the offseason.
That assessment is revealing after Los Angeles added Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton and Sandro Mamukelashvili. The Lakers addressed several weaknesses, but they never secured the athletic, two-way forward they envisioned playing next to Luka Doncic.
Lakers Could Package Dalton Knecht, Jarred Vanderbilt
Knecht and Vanderbilt provide the Lakers with approximately $16.6 million in matching salary for a potential trade.
Vanderbilt is set to earn $12.4 million during the 2026-27 season. Knecht, the No. 17 pick in the 2024 NBA draft, carries a considerably smaller $4.2 million salary.
Their trade values remain complicated.
Vanderbilt can defend across multiple positions, rebound and inject energy into a lineup. His limited outside shooting, however, can make him a difficult fit beside a ball-dominant creator such as Doncic. Availability has also prevented him from establishing a consistent role in Los Angeles.
Knecht offers the opposite profile. The 6-foot-6 wing was drafted largely because of his shooting and scoring potential, but he has struggled to establish himself as a dependable two-way rotation player.
Rival executives have not shown a strong appetite for either player, Dan Woike of The Athletic previously reported. That could force the Lakers to attach draft compensation or target another team’s imperfect contract rather than expect a clean talent upgrade.
Combining Knecht’s developmental upside with Vanderbilt’s mid-sized salary is nevertheless one of the clearest paths available to president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka.
Missing on Jonathan Kuminga Left a Hole
The Lakers viewed Kuminga as a potential starting forward before he elected to sign with the Minnesota Timberwolves. His athleticism, transition scoring and defensive tools offered qualities that remain scarce on Los Angeles’ roster.
The current group has more shooting and depth than last season’s team. Kessler gives Los Angeles the rim protection and vertical threat it had been seeking alongside Doncic, while Grimes supplies perimeter defense without sacrificing floor spacing.
Neither addition completely resolves the forward question.
Los Angeles also has 16 players on standard contracts, one more than it can carry into the regular season. A consolidation trade involving two players for one would create an elegant solution to that roster crunch while potentially improving the rotation.
The Lakers do not have to force a deal before training camp. Injuries, contract disputes and unexpected roster battles elsewhere could create opportunities before opening night or closer to the trade deadline.
Fischer’s report makes clear, though, that Pelinka does not view the current roster as the finished product.
Knecht and Vanderbilt may report to camp as Lakers. Whether both remain there when Los Angeles begins another championship pursuit around Doncic is far less certain.
Lakers Still Exploring Trade Involving 2 Players After Jonathan Kuminga Miss