The Lakers may not be finished retooling their roster.
Last month, the entire Lakers roster traveled to Slovenia for a four-day minicamp hosted by Luka Doncic. It appears that two players in attendance for the bonding experience may be on the trade block.
The Lakers are reportedly looking to trade Jarred Vanderbilt and Dalton Knecht before Opening Night, according to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer. The Lakers have 16 players on their roster and need to trim it to 15.
Trading or waiving a player is a possibility with Vanderbilt and Knecht seemingly top candidates.
Vanderbilt and Knecht have been floated as trade candidates prior to this offseason, with the latter even being traded to the Hornets before it was rescinded.
In February 2025, the Lakers traded Knecht to the Hornets for center Mark Williams. Three days later, Williams failed his physical and Knecht was sent back to LA.
Vanderbilt has two years remaining on his $48 million contract, which makes trading or waiving the forward more difficult for the Lakers. Knecht is entering his third year in the league and is still on his rookie deal.
The 25-year-old has failed to be a reliable or relevant piece for the Lakers, though, since the Hornets trade was rescinded. Knecht had received less playing time because of the lack of production, which is likely why the Lakers are shopping their once highly touted first-round pick.
The Lakers missed out on Jonathan Kuminga, who would have given the the squad a versatile wing defender. LA still has a hole on the roster, but the Lakers evidently still are looking to address their biggest need before the start of the season.
