Lakers Waive 17th Pick Knecht, Absorbing $4.2 Million Salary and Keeping Bronny

The Lakers waived Dalton Knecht, the 17th overall pick in the 2024 draft, on Oct. 19. After a big-man trade fell through, they absorbed his $4.2 million salary and kept Bronny in the 15th spot.

Translated from Korean with AI assistance. Read the original. Sources and original publication dates are retained.

Three-line summary

On Oct. 19, the Lakers waived Knecht, the 2024 draft's 17th pick, reducing the roster from 16 players to 15.
Knecht's $4,201,080 salary is fully guaranteed, so it stays on this season's cap even after his release.
Bronny James, who won the final roster spot, begins his third season with the Lakers.

“The biggest thing is that the team has changed. The team has changed.” On Oct. 19 (local time), the roster-cut deadline, JJ Redick said this about Dalton Knecht. USA TODAY reported that Knecht and Bronny James both did not attend practice that day, and Redick explained that both players were unwell. The decision came that same day.

Knecht Release Confirmed, Roster Cut from 16 to 15… 2-for-1 Trade Ultimately Falls Through

ESPN's Shams Charania was the first to report it. The Lakers had gone into the preseason with 16 players under guaranteed contracts, and had to release one to meet the regular-season roster limit of 15. AP reported that the Lakers kept Bronny in the final spot and agreed to enter his third season with him.

The team had not initially chosen to release anyone. TSN reported, citing an ESPN report, that the Lakers tried and failed to land a big man in a 2-for-1 trade including Knecht. Teams mentioned included Milwaukee (inquiries about Jericho Sims), Chicago, and Utah. USA TODAY's Andres Soto analyzed that other teams would not give up assets for a player who could be claimed off waivers for free.

Knecht's salary for this season $4,201,080 remained a burden. It became fully guaranteed when the team exercised its third-year team option in October 2025, and it will still count against the cap after the release. That is $1,904,809 more than Bronny's $2,296,271. Lakers Daily quoted ESPN's Bobby Marks, who noted that there is “no obligation to pay next season.”

Two draft classmates battling for the final spot

Category	Dalton Knecht	Bronny James
Age (years)	25	22
2024 draft	1st round, 17th pick	2nd round, 55th pick
2026-27 salary (USD)	4,201,080	2,296,271
2025-26 games / minutes played (min)	54 / 10.2	42 / 8.9
2025-26 points (pts) / 3-point percentage (%)	4.2 / 34.2	2.9 / 38.6
Result	Waived	Retained

Knecht's scoring drops from 9.1 to 4.2 points…Why the 37-point rookie fell out of the rotation in two years

It started brilliantly. In 2024 at Tennessee, he was named SEC Player of the Year. Because he was 23 when drafted, he was also considered lottery-level, though his draft position slipped due to his age. AP reported that as a rookie in November 2024 against Utah, Knecht hit nine three-pointers and scored 37 points, and that his average over nine games around that time was 18.9 points.

The slide came in February 2025. The Lakers agreed to send Knecht, Cam Reddish and a draft pick to Charlotte in exchange for center Mark Williams, but the trade fell apart when Williams failed his physical. Afterward, his minutes fell from 19.2 to 10.2, a drop of 47%, while his scoring fell from 9.1 to 4.2 points, down 54%.

Knecht's season-by-season stats

Season	Games	Minutes (min)	Points (pts)	3-point percentage (%)
2024-25	78	19.2	9.1	37.6
2025-26	54	10.2	4.2	34.2
2026 preseason	4	—	2.8	14.3

In the preseason, effectively his final test, his three-point percentage was only 14.3%, and in recent games he has played as the 12th player.

The team situation has changed too. After LeBron James left in free agency in summer 2026, the Lakers added many wing players, and Knecht's spot, which had been criticized for inconsistent shooting and defensive weaknesses, has narrowed. In comments the same day, as reported by TSN, Redick said, “We are in a tough spot right now.”

The Lakers open the season against Golden State at home on Wednesday, local time. Knecht is on waivers, so if another team claims him or signs him as a free agent, his team affiliation will change (as of Oct. 20, 2026).

FAQ

Q. Does Knecht's $4.2 million salary still count against the Lakers' cap after his release?

It does. The 2026-27 salary of $4,201,080 became fully guaranteed when the team exercised its option in October 2025, and it still counts toward this season's salary cap after the release. The $6,452,859 team option for 2027-28 was eliminated by this release, so there is no obligation to pay next season.

Q. What is Bronny James's salary?

According to Spotrac, his 2026-27 salary is $2,296,271. It became fully guaranteed after the June 29, 2026 deadline passed, and his total four-year contract is $7,895,796.

Q. Why did the Knecht trade not happen?

The Lakers tried a 2-for-1 trade including Knecht to acquire a big man, with Milwaukee, Chicago and Utah mentioned, but it did not happen. USA TODAY analyzed that other teams would not give up assets for a player who could be acquired off waivers.

Official related sites

NBA.com Dalton Knecht official player page — check Knecht's official season and game-by-game stats

Representative image · File photo · Not a photo from the current game in this article · Photo: Wikimedia Commons (Joe Kennedy, Los Angeles Times), CC BY 4.0