Overview
- Reporting on Thursday shows the Lakers still carry 16 guaranteed contracts and must waive or trade at least one player before the regular season roster is set.
- Multiple insiders say Dalton Knecht is the most likely player to be waived or moved, with recent trade talks and near-deals leaving him on the roster bubble.
- Coaching coverage notes JJ Redick has not outlined a role for Knecht in training camp, a detail insiders cite as evidence of his precarious status.
- Jaden Hardy is widely viewed by team insiders as the favorite to win the final spot if Los Angeles cuts one of the two players, though a two-for-one consolidation trade could change that outcome.
- The club has made front-office and roster moves including hiring Pooh Jeter as director of pro scouting and adding defensive pieces such as Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams, and the roster decision will test whether the offseason overhaul meets expectations.