The Lakers are staring at a roster cutdown deadline, and the preseason struggles of Bronny James and Dalton Knecht have only sharpened the pressure.
Los Angeles has had players flash in exhibition play, but these two recent draft picks have not been part of that group. Instead, both have come out flat, and the numbers have been rough enough to make their standing in the rotation - and maybe on the roster - a real talking point with Oct. 19 approaching.
Bronny, selected No. 55 in the 2024 draft, has posted 2.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.3 blocks per game in preseason. The 22-year-old has also struggled badly with efficiency, hitting just 26.7% from the field and 14.3% from three while averaging 3.0 turnovers per game. Lakers head coach JJ Redick said Bronny hasn’t played well so far in preseason.
That comment stood out because Redick has spent plenty of time backing Bronny since the draft. He also noted that the guard may not have been put in the best position to succeed, pointing to the fact that he has logged a lot of minutes alongside two-way players.
Knecht’s preseason has been even harder to ignore. The No. 17 pick in the 2024 draft is averaging only 3.7 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game, while shooting 27.3% from the field and 14.3% from long range. His stock has continued to slide.
His Lakers arc started well enough, but he ran into the rookie wall around December 2024. Then came the February 2025 trade drama, when he was nearly sent to the Charlotte Hornets in the Mark Williams deal before the trade was rescinded.
Los Angeles had concerns about Williams’ health, and canceling the move may have been the safer call. But it also left Knecht in a difficult spot.
He knew the organization was ready to move him, and he has not fully found his rhythm since. That broader frustration is part of why he and Jarred Vanderbilt have been on the trade block for over a year.
The Lakers still haven’t found a way to move either player, but the deadline to get from 16 players down to 15 makes the situation more urgent now. Knecht is viewed as the likeliest candidate to be traded or waived, though there is at least some reason to ask whether Bronny could be the one pushed out instead.
There has long been speculation that Bronny’s spot was tied to his father, LeBron James, and the 41-year-old left for the Philadelphia 76ers in the summer. Even so, Bronny did show some upward movement late last season. The former USC guard made progress as a sophomore, and there was reportedly league-wide interest in him.
That’s the key difference here: Bronny’s preseason slump could still be viewed as a bad stretch. Knecht’s issues look more like a continuation of what has already been going on for a long time. At this point, his future in Los Angeles looks increasingly bleak.
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Lakers Roster Battle Just Got Tighter Before Opening Night
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Lakers Final Roster Crunch Just Clarified One Preseason Battle
Several NBA teams trimmed their camps on Oct. 14 as the league-wide roster crunch came into sharper focus ahead of the Oct. 19 deadline. For the Lakers, the moves were part of the normal late-preseason sorting that comes every year, but they still carried weight for players trying to survive the final cut to a 15-man regular-season roster.
Los Angeles waived Cole Swider and Jahmir Young, closing another chapter in a camp that has steadily narrowed to the names the Lakers plan to keep evaluating. Both players are likely headed toward G League opportunities or another landing spot, and their exits help clarify one of the last preseason battles as the Lakers settle the edges of the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Make Another Late Roster Move Worth Watching
The Lakers added another name to the roster mix ahead of opening night, signing forward Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones to an Exhibit 10 contract as they continue sorting through the final spots on a crowded group. Tait-Jones arrives with some recent momentum, having played for Valmiera Glass VIA in the Estonian-Latvian Basketball League and earned Finals MVP honors there.
Los Angeles is still above the standard player limit, so moves like this carry more roster significance than they might in a quieter stretch of the calendar. The Lakers have already waived players such as Jahmir Young and Cole Swider in recent weeks, and Tait-Jones now becomes another player worth tracking as the team keeps trimming and shaping the roster before the deadline. [Read more 🡒]