The Lakers’ summer has already been busy, and the churn around the roster does not appear to be slowing down.
Los Angeles has spent the offseason reshaping the group after LeBron James announced he would not be returning. The first major swing came with the trade for Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz, and the front office kept moving after that by adding Colin Sexton, Quentin Grimes and bringing back Austin Reaves.
Even with those additions, the Lakers are still working the phones. Dalton Knecht and Jarred Vanderbilt are both names to watch, and Evan Sidery reported that the team is actively trying to move them.
“The Lakers are actively shopping Dalton Knecht and Jarred Vanderbilt in trade talks. After gaining two second-round picks in the Deandre Ayton trade, Los Angeles could consolidate those assets in a deal immediately for a starting-caliber wing,” NBA reporter Evan Sidery wrote.
Knecht’s situation has been especially unusual. The former first-round pick started his rookie year well, then briefly got caught in a trade to the Charlotte Hornets before that deal was rescinded.
“In the span of a week, Dalton Knecht went from playing for the Los Angeles Lakers to joining the Charlotte Hornets to going back to the Lakers after the trade that sent him to Charlotte was rescinded,” ESPN insider Dave McMenamin wrote. “Knecht said he was at the Lakers' practice facility on Feb. 5 going through his normal routine before his shooting drills -- needing to make 25 shots from the foul line -- when he was interrupted after his 20th free throw.”
Against that backdrop, it was a little surprising to see both Knecht and Vanderbilt in Las Vegas taking in Summer League games. The Lakers even posted, “The Lakers pulled up to support the summer squad,” alongside a photo from July 12, 2026.
The sight of the two players around the team while their names are floating in trade talks naturally stands out. Still, it also says something about how they’re handling the moment: they’re around, they’re engaged, and they’re supporting the organization even with uncertainty hanging over them.
Their contracts add up to $66 million, and the Lakers appear to be exploring the possibility of packaging them in a deal. Nothing has been completed yet.
For now, both players remain on the roster and continue to represent the Lakers, even as the front office keeps searching for the next move.
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