The Los Angeles Lakers’ next move is no longer optional.
After signing Matisse Thybulle, the Lakers have 16 players on guaranteed standard contracts, one more than the regular-season maximum. They can carry an expanded roster through training camp, but someone must be traded or waived before opening night.
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin identified Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht and newcomer Jaden Hardy as the three players most likely to be affected.
“There are 16 players on the team, so just by virtue of that information, they aren’t done,” McMenamin said Thursday on NBA Today. “They could carry 16, they could carry 20 through training camp, but between now and the start of the regular season, you’ve got to get rid of a player.”
The roster pressure could become even greater if the Lakers find a way to acquire unrestricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga through a sign-and-trade with the Atlanta Hawks.
Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht Remain Available
GettyDalton Knecht of the Los Angeles Lakers takes a three-point shot. Knecht is among the three Lakers players on the trade block.
Vanderbilt and Knecht are familiar names in Lakers trade discussions.
Los Angeles has attempted to find deals involving both players but has been unable to generate sufficient interest, according to McMenamin.
Vanderbilt will earn approximately $12.4 million next season and holds a $13.3 million player option for 2027-28. His defense and rebounding still have situational value, but his contract and limited offensive game have made him difficult to move.
The Lakers have explored including Vanderbilt in a potential Kuminga sign-and-trade, but Atlanta is not eager to absorb his contract after acquiring Lu Dort that hard-capped them at the first apron.
Knecht’s contract is more manageable at approximately $4.2 million, but his value declined during a disappointing second season. The former first-round pick averaged 4.2 points and shot 34.2% from the 3-point range after falling out of JJ Redick’s regular rotation.
Los Angeles has now tried to trade Knecht across three transaction cycles. His aborted move to Charlotte for Mark Williams in February 2025 remains the most notable example.
“Quite frankly, they’ve tried for a while here,” McMenamin said of the Lakers’ efforts to move Vanderbilt and Knecht.
Jaden Hardy Could Be Lakers’ Most Logical Trade
Hardy represents a newer and potentially cleaner solution.
The Lakers acquired the 24-year-old guard and two second-round picks from Washington in the Deandre Ayton trade. But McMenamin said that transaction was primarily about moving Ayton, collecting draft assets and creating room for new centers Walker Kessler and Kevon Looney.
It was not necessarily about adding Hardy.
Hardy averaged 9.2 points last season, but the Lakers already have a crowded backcourt featuring Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Collin Sexton, Quentin Grimes and Bronny James. Hardy’s $6 million salary could be useful in another trade, and Los Angeles holds a team option for the following season.
Moving Hardy would allow the Lakers to reach the roster limit without sacrificing one of their established rotation pieces.
Pelinka could also pursue a larger consolidation deal, particularly if the Kuminga negotiations regain momentum. A two-for-one trade would create the additional roster space required to add the young forward.
The Lakers have already changed nearly every level of their roster.
Simple arithmetic guarantees at least one more change.
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