Lakers Roster Squeeze Points to Three Candidates, Not Bronny James

Los Angeles must shed one guaranteed contract before the season, and reporting has identified Jaden Hardy, Dalton Knecht and Jarred Vanderbilt as the leading options.

Training camp has not started yet, but the Los Angeles Lakers already face a personnel decision. The club heads into camp with 16 players holding guaranteed standard contracts, exceeding the NBA's regular-season ceiling of 15, and it has about a month to get compliant. Khobi Price of California Post named Jaden Hardy, Dalton Knecht and Jarred Vanderbilt as the players most at risk of being dealt or released. Bronny James was left off that list, a notable shift after his job security was questioned for much of the offseason.

A trade is the outcome Los Angeles would prefer, though several obstacles stand in the way. Vanderbilt will earn $12.4 million this season and holds a $13.3 million player option for 2027-28, a deal considered hard to move without sweeteners. Knecht struggled to recapture his rookie form, posting 4.2 points in 10.2 minutes per game last season after averaging 9.1 as a first-year player, and he dropped out of JJ Redick's rotation. Hardy, obtained from Washington in the Deandre Ayton trade, represents the simplest financial cut if no trade materializes.

James, 21, built a case for sticking around with his play last season. Across 42 regular-season appearances he averaged 2.9 points and 1.2 assists in 8.9 minutes, hitting 40.9% from the field and 38.6% from beyond the arc. He also logged 15 minutes in Game 3 of the first-round series against Houston with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves sidelined, producing five points, four assists and two rebounds on 2-for-5 shooting.

Questions remain about whether James can earn regular minutes. He still must show he can defend at the point of attack, knock down open three-pointers and contribute in limited stretches without dominating the ball. Still, with the contract situations of Vanderbilt, Knecht and Hardy complicating other exits, the numbers now tilt in James's favor heading into camp.