The Lakers are still working the phones with the Oct. 19 roster deadline hanging over camp.
NBA insider Jake Fischer reported Wednesday that Los Angeles is among the teams “exploring trades,” adding a fresh twist to a roster situation that has hovered over the club throughout training camp. Fischer’s update didn’t name a target, identify a player headed out, or suggest a deal is close. It did, however, make clear that the Lakers have not taken themselves out of the trade market as the deadline nears.
“Have heard the Bucks, Lakers and Grizzlies all exploring trades,” Fischer wrote.
The league’s roster deadline is Monday, Oct. 19, at 5 p.m. ET.
For the Lakers, the math is the first issue. They entered camp with 16 guaranteed contracts, which means something has to give before the regular season roster is finalized. Rob Pelinka already floated one path last month: a consolidation trade that would send out more players than it brings back.
“There’s also consolidation trades that can still be looked at, trading two guys out, bringing one in,” Pelinka said.
That sort of move would get Los Angeles from 16 players down to the required 15. A one-for-one trade wouldn’t solve the roster crunch by itself, which is why the structure of any deal matters almost as much as the names involved.
Dalton Knecht remains part of the conversation, even though Fischer’s report did not tie him directly to a possible deal. In an Oct. 1 report, Khobi Price of The California Post wrote that multiple outside executives expected Knecht to be the player left out when the Lakers trimmed their standard-contract roster. That was outside speculation, not a formal decision from the team, and it came before Wednesday’s trade update.
Price also pointed to a crowded wing group that includes Quentin Grimes, Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams, Adou Thiero and Cameron Carr. Still, JJ Redick has spoken positively about Knecht’s work early in camp.
“I know he’s hungry to play and hungry to earn a spot in the rotation,” Redick said.
That distinction matters. A player can survive the roster cut and still be fighting for minutes once the season starts. A trade could change both battles at once, depending on who comes in and who goes out.
Redick’s recent remarks also show the Lakers’ roster decisions aren’t just about clearing space. After Tuesday’s loss to Golden State, he pointed to rebounding as a problem, especially when Walker Kessler was not available.
“We’ve got to do a better job of rebounding in general, whether he’s on the floor or not,” Redick said.
He also said the offense had trouble getting organized in stretches without Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic while Collin Sexton was unavailable. Earlier, Redick had talked about using bigger wings in lineups without Kessler. Taken together, those comments hint at a team still sorting through both personnel and style.
The league’s rules help explain why a trade may be the preferred route. Waiving a player does not make the salary disappear, and standard-contract teams generally carry 14 or 15 players, with up to three on two-way deals. Sending a standard-contract player to the G League also doesn’t solve the roster issue, since he remains on the NBA team’s roster while assigned.
So the Lakers are left weighing the same question from multiple angles: whether a trade can fix the roster count and improve the on-court mix at the same time. Fischer’s report doesn’t answer it. It just confirms the search is still on.
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