Lakers' $7M historic 3-and-D guard not expected to be waived over Dalton Knecht, Jarred Vanderbilt

Lakers’ $7M historic 3-and-D guard not expected to be waived over Dalton Knecht, Jarred Vanderbilt originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Los Angeles Lakers are still trying to get things done this summer to bolster their roster even further. LA has done a nice job of acquiring former Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler and getting a deal done to bring back Austin Reaves.

Now, after all of the additions, the Lakers sit one player above the allowed roster limit. They will have to make a decision before the end of training camp.

“There are, however, obvious holes. With 16 roster spots, the Lakers would need to get rid of at least one player, though they can carry as many as 20 through training camp in October,” Heavy.com’s Sean Deveney wrote.

There is a consensus that one of four players could be waived by the organization if no trade is made. Dalton Knecht, Bronny James, Jaden Hardy, and Jarred Vanderbilt are all possible options. However, James appears to be the only safe player of the group as of now.

“Bronny is set to make just $2.2 million this season. The Lakers currently have 16 players under guaranteed contracts and will have to trim their roster to 15 before the regular season opener. There is no word of Bronny being on the chopping block. Los Angeles is looking to move on from Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht, or Jaden Hardy,” Lake Show Life’s Tyler Watts wrote.

The Lakers are confident that James will make a significant jump in his third season. In his first NBA game, he made history alongside his father, LeBron James.

“When LeBron James made history two seasons ago, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, his eldest son, Bronny, was sitting courtside along the baseline. On Tuesday night, in the Los Angeles Lakers’ season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves, LeBron and Bronny made history by being on the court together,” ESPN’s Dave McMenamin wrote.

James has some upside to his game and could become an important bench piece for the Lakers. Obviously, he still has to prove that he is worthy of consistent minutes, but this could be a pivotal year in his career.

Bronny is currently on a $7 million rookie deal with LA. The Lakers like the growth he has shown from season to season, and now it will be about how much he has developed heading into his third year.

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