The Lakers have too many guaranteed contracts heading into the start of the 2026-27 season. Obviously many of them are low-cost, but they still must make important decisions, and one of the players singled out to bear the cost is Dalton Knecht.
“First and foremost, he has been a professional. He’s been in the gym since day one, he has worked tremendously over the entire summer. I know he’s hungry to play and to earn a spot in the rotation.”
Those remarks from his coach, J.J. Redick, make clear that there isn’t a single complaint about the wing; however, that doesn’t prevent his place on the roster from being fragile, since for weeks—indeed months—there has been talk of his likely exit, and now everything is accelerating.
According to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, the Lakers and Bucks have held talks regarding a trade that would send Knecht to Milwaukee (along with a second-round pick) in exchange for center Jericho Sims. While this move would reduce Los Angeles’ payroll by $1.4 million, the reporter stresses that the agreement is not close.
And if they don’t close the trade for Dalton Knecht?
Well, even that wouldn’t save him. Jake Weinbach of ESPN Radio stresses that the Californians’ plan is for Dalton Knecht to be among the players to depart the team, whether by one route or another; in other words, he is likely to be waived to bring the roster closer to a maximum of 15 players on standard contracts.
Whether Knecht leaves now or later, the reality is that the Lakers have crafted a very deliberate offseason plan and have been filling all of their needs. Now it remains to be seen how it translates on the floor—as discussed in the latest issue of the podcast—and whether Luka Doncic (and his teammates) can deliver the impact many expect.
