The Lakers are not locked into a simple cut to get down to 15 players before the regular season, and Rob Pelinka made that clear Thursday.
Speaking with coach JJ Redick, Pelinka said the team can use training camp to sort through its 16 guaranteed contracts, but he also pointed to another path: a consolidation deal. In other words, Los Angeles could send out two players and bring back one, trimming the roster while reshaping it at the same time.
“Behind that evaluation of who’s emerging in camp, there’s also consolidation trades that could still be looked at - trading two guys out, bringing one in,” Pelinka said. “There’s a number of ways that that could be addressed.”
That leaves the Lakers with options, not a decision. Camp competition is still part of the picture, and Pelinka said the next month will be used to see which players stand out while the front office keeps an eye on the trade market.
The roster squeeze has been hanging over the Lakers for weeks, and Thursday’s comments were an acknowledgment that the answer might not be as simple as picking someone to move on. A two-for-one trade would solve the numbers problem immediately, since two outgoing players and one incoming player gets the team to 15. A one-for-one move would not.
The basketball side of it is more complicated. If two players are fighting for limited minutes, the Lakers could decide a different single piece better fits what they need. But reducing the roster count alone does not guarantee an upgrade, and that’s where fit comes in.
Redick’s remarks helped sharpen that point. He said he feels good about Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler as three of the starters, while the other two spots remain open.
JJ Redick says that he is "pretty confident" in three of his starters being Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler. Beyond that, he says - with a smirk - he is confident that the other two spots, "won't be two white guys."
- Dave McMenamin (@mcten) September 24, 2026
That creates two separate decisions for the Lakers: who makes the team, and who fits best around the players already expected to start. Any possible addition would have to stack up against the players already in the mix.
Redick also made it clear he plans to go deeper with his rotation.
“We’re going to play more guys this year. We’re just naturally deeper,” Redick said.
That makes any consolidation trade a balancing act. The Lakers could gain a better fit in one area, but they would also be giving up one more option off the bench. Camp should help reveal whether they have overlap they can afford to trade away or depth they’d rather keep.
The league rules give the Lakers some breathing room. Teams can carry as many as 21 players during training camp, while the regular-season limit is 15 standard contracts, with two-way deals handled separately. So there is no immediate need to slash the roster before camp begins.
Timing matters too. Under the NBA’s collective bargaining guide, newly signed free agents on standard contracts generally can’t be traded until Dec. 15 or three months after signing, whichever comes later. Some re-signings carry a longer restriction.
Waiving a player is another option, but it does not erase the financial obligation. The league’s guide includes salary still owed to waived players in team salary, subject to adjustments.
For now, Pelinka’s message was simple: the Lakers have a route to 15, but they have not chosen it yet. Training camp will help determine who earns their spot, and whether a trade can make the group better as well as smaller.
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