Bronny James remains with Lakers as Dalton Knecht is waived

The Los Angeles Lakers waived Dalton Knecht on Monday, 19 October, leaving Bronny James as the only player from their 2024 draft class still on the roster. The decision came as the Lakers faced a deadline to reduce a squad that had spent much of the offseason with 16 players under standard contracts to the 15-player limit.

Knecht was the No. 17 pick in the 2024 draft, while James was selected late in the second round. Both missed Monday’s practice through illness, according to coach JJ Redick, before the Lakers chose to keep James and release Knecht.

A difficult decision after two seasons

Redick said James had not played well in the preseason. James shot 4-of-16 from the floor, and the Lakers were outscored by 31 points during his 82 minutes on court. Neither of the two draft picks had established himself as a dependable NBA player over their first two years, according to the source article.

Knecht arrived after an SEC Player of the Year season and showed some early promise in his rookie year, but he did not sustain that form with the Lakers. The team later attempted to trade him to the Charlotte Hornets in a deal involving Mark Williams. The trade was called off after the Lakers failed Mark Williams’ physical, and Knecht remained with Los Angeles until Monday’s waiver decision.

James has also struggled to establish an offensive role. The source article notes that he provided a handful of not-terrible minutes against the Houston Rockets in the playoffs a year ago, but says he has yet to show he can score at the rate needed to be playable as a 6-foot-2 guard or defend at a level that provides genuine value.

What keeping James means for the Lakers

The Lakers have not given a definitive explanation for choosing James over Knecht. James offers a more defence-oriented profile on a roster described in the source article as heavily focused on offence, while Knecht’s expected strength was his shooting. What either player showed in training camp behind closed doors remains unclear.

The decision also leaves the Lakers with questions about how they handled the 2024 class. The source article argues that the team waited too long to resolve its roster situation, having previously let defender Jordan Goodwin leave; he subsequently broke out with the Phoenix Suns.

For now, James keeps his roster place while Knecht’s Lakers stint ends.