The Los Angeles Lakers dropped a surprising bomb on their 2026-27 roster, making the call to release former first-round pick Dalton Knecht on Monday. This move, reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania, immediately throws a ton of interesting questions into the air about their rotation as the new season kicks off.
Bronny James and Jaden Hardy Make the Cut: Who’s Where?
So, Knecht is out. Who got the nod over him? Two big names: guards Bronny James and Jaden Hardy. That’s a pretty wild development, right? When you look at how the depth chart is shaping up, you can see how tight things are.
Here’s the new setup:
* PG: Luka Dončić; Collin Sexton; Bronny James
* SG: Austin Reaves; Adou Thiero; Jaden Hardy
* SF: Quentin Grimes; Matisse Thybulle; Cameron Carr
* PF: Ziaire Williams; Jake LaRavia; Sandro Mamukelashvili; Jarred Vanderbilt
* C: Walker Kessler; Kevon Looney
Think about it: Bronny James is officially on an NBA depth chart. That’s huge for the kid, no doubt. But what does it really mean for his time on the court?
The Cold Hard Truth For Bronny’s Minutes
Alright, let’s be real here: while it’s awesome that Bronny made the roster, the reality is he’s probably not going to be logging significant minutes. It’s tough, but the roster is loaded with playmaking. You’ve got Dončić, Reaves, Grimes, and Sexton all capable of handling the ball. Coach JJ Redick and the front office are going to be prioritizing mixing and matching their various wing options, not necessarily finding a ton of work for James.
Now, a lot of folks might see Bronny making the roster over Knecht as a massive vote of confidence from Coach Redick. And maybe it is! But honestly, it’s just as likely that the Lakers simply felt Knecht wasn’t the right fit anymore and needed a fresh start somewhere else. Coach Redick even touched on this Friday, telling reporters, “The team changed. The needs changed, the fit changed.” He acknowledged Knecht got better and had plenty of chances last year with all the injuries, but with all the wings they added this offseason, Knecht was “in a tough spot right now.”
The Lakers went through a ton of turnover this offseason, totally reshaping the roster to better fit Dončić’s incredible skill set. But even with all those moving pieces, it’s still super hard to see a clear path for Bronny to get serious playing time, unless injuries start piling up.
The Lakers made their move, and the rotation is set, at least for now. All eyes will be on how Coach Redick navigates these new pieces and if a pathway for Bronny’s minutes can emerge.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
Leave a Reply