Dalton Knecht’s future with the Lakers is still hanging in the balance, but the bigger picture in Los Angeles may be even more interesting: a path that could eventually open the door for Bruce Brown.
Heavy’s Sean Deveney reported that the Lakers believe they can still find a team willing to develop the 25-year-old wing over the long haul, even if his value around the league looks murky on the surface. Deveney also floated a scenario in which Los Angeles moves Knecht and then adds the 6-foot-4 former Nuggets champion to help Luka Doncic in 2026-27.
“There are only a handful of teams that might make sense for Knecht, but the Lakers’ big issue is that they have very little draft capital-three future second-rounders and one pick swap-to attach to get a team to take Knecht,” Deveney wrote Wednesday.
“The other option could be to trade Hardy for a player who makes significantly less money, then cut that player.”
“If the Lakers want to make a move that would free up room to add another player-Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer mentioned Bruce Brown as a possibility-they would probably need to make deals for both Knecht and Hardy, or offload a contract like that of Bronny James.”
Brown remains unsigned in early September, which makes him one of the more notable names still sitting on the market. He’s coming off a 2025-26 season with Denver in which he averaged 7.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.0 steal while shooting 47.5% from the field and a career-best 38.5% from three.
The Miami product has carved out his reputation as a versatile, plug-and-play wing who can do a little bit of everything and stay inside his role. His cutting, screening, defense, and increasingly reliable three-point shot make him the kind of fit teams tend to circle back to.
After the Lakers surprisingly missed on Jonathan Kuminga, Brown could be the kind of short-term addition they pursue before the new season starts. Whether Los Angeles actually wants to bring in the 30-year-old veteran is still an open question.
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