With 16 players on standard contracts, the Los Angeles Lakers must trim their roster to the NBA limit of 15. Dalton Knecht, the 17th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, is the prime candidate to miss the cut. His minutes had already dwindled to 10.2 per game last season, and Jaden Hardy's arrival over the summer has dropped him further down the pecking order. Head coach JJ Redick has said Hardy will run the offence whenever Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are resting, pushing the battle for minutes to boiling point.
Last January, Knecht made just 22.2% of his three-point attempts, a slump that leaves his future at the club up in the air ahead of the 19 October deadline for finalising rosters.
