If Datlon Knecht isn’t on the Los Angeles Lakers‘ roster by the start of the 2026-27 NBA season, that wouldn’t come as a surprise. However, the team is reportedly still trying to make a trade, and Knecht is one of the players the Lakers would love to move if it means getting a starting power forward or backup center upgrade.
Los Angeles has reportedly been trying to trade both Knecht and forward Jarred Vanderbilt for the past few years, but to no avail. With just a few days left before the Lakers’ front office has to decide on either waiving Knecht or likely Jaden Hardy, a trade could still come, as new reports signal the franchise is eager to make a move before the season begins.
However, if no deals come through, the Lakers have until October 19 to waive Knecht. He’s still battling against Hardy for the team’s final roster spot, but after the offseason reporting and his preseason performances, the third-year guard and former 17th overall pick will likely be looking for a new NBA job in less than a week.
Lakers Could Still Trade Dalton Knecht Before Season
Earlier in the offseason, it was Lakers reporter Jovan Buha who said the team was ready to make a trade for a roster upgrade; one likely would include sending any combination of Knecht, Hardy, or Vanderbilt out.
“I think the Lakers are gonna explore a trade,” Buha said on a previous Buha’s Block episode. “They’re gonna try to do some sort of either dump a player somewhere or a consolidation trade. But if they can’t and it comes down to waiving someone, my prediction would be Dalton Knecht is the one that gets waived.”
Additionally, Buha reported the Lakers have been trying to trade Knecht and Vanderbilt for a long time, but with the low value of the two, rival teams aren’t looking to add them in exchange for giving Los Angeles a solid rotational player.
“I’ve been talking about it on here [Buha’s Block]. The Lakers have been trying to trade both of these players going back really almost two seasons,” he added. “They’ve been shopping these guys for a while, well over a year. They were shopping them last deadline. They’ve been shopping them this offseason. They’ve not been able to offload them.”
That all makes sense. Still, NBA insider Jake Fischer recently confirmed the Lakers are still browsing the trade market just days before the new season begins.
If the front office can find a deal, it would likely include Knecht, which would give him a fresh start after things in Los Angeles just haven’t gone well for him.
The Lakers have already tried trading Knecht twice, but as they say, the third time is the charm. He doesn’t have a ton of value around the league, but his shooting and size are two aspects of his game that could lead him to joining the rotation of a team like the Chicago Bulls or Charlotte Hornets, should the Lake Show finally get a bite on just one of the trade lines they’ve had out in the water for a long time now.
Los Angeles On Ticking Clock For Final Roster Cut Decision
By all accounts, Knecht is the favorite to be the Lakers’ final roster cut if they can’t trade him in a ‘2 for 1’ consolidation deal. Hardy and Bronny James are the other two candidates who could be off the team so they can get under the 15-man roster limit, but it continues to be reported that the former 17th overall pick in the 2024 Draft is leading that race.
If Los Angeles can’t find one final trade before the season begins, the team is on a ticking clock to decide the final roster cut.
Rosters for the 2026-27 NBA season must be finalized the day before opening night, October 19 at 2 p.m. PST.
“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,” Svyatoslav Rovenchuk wrote for LakeShowLife.com. “It is fair to say that not all hope is lost for Knecht. There is reason to narrow this roster decision down to a two-man race between him and Jaden Hardy. In that competition, Hardy has not really done much to make himself irreplaceable for the Lakers either.”
If somehow Knecht beats out Hardy or James to stay on the Lakers’ roster, the team has another decision deadline that will come into play.
Los Angeles has until November 2 to pick up Knecht’s team option for the 2027-28 season worth roughly $6.4 million. They already picked up the team option for this season, but if a stunning turn of events does happen and he sticks around, that is the date on which the Lakers will have to decide if he’s going to play another season in the Purple and Gold.
That remains the most optimistic outlook for the 25-year-old, however. All indications say that if the Lakers can’t find a trade partner for Knecht to get a new starting power forward or backup center, the former will be waived and off the roster for the upcoming season, which has felt like the most likely outcome for months now.
Lakers Could Still Trade Dalton Knecht As Final Judgement Day Looms