Dalton Knecht was left off the Los Angeles Lakers' Lakers Summer League roster for the 2026 NBA offseason showcase. The move comes after the Lakers already exercised his 2026-27 team option, a sign that his place in the rotation is still unsettled.
Los Angeles released its California Classic and Las Vegas roster last week ahead of the July 3 start. Cameron Carr headed the group instead, putting the focus on a different wing while Knecht stays out of the summer mix.
Cameron Carr on the Lakers list
The roster shift matters because Knecht is still under contract and still part of the Lakers' planning, but not for this summer stage. Los Angeles took him 17th overall out of Tennessee in 2024, then watched his role shrink in year two.
He played 54 games in the 2025-26 season and started one. His minutes fell from 19.2 per game as a rookie to 10.2 per game, and his scoring dropped to 4.2 points per game.
Knecht's year-two slide
His rookie line was stronger: 9.1 points and 2.8 rebounds in 19.2 minutes across 78 games, with 16 starts. He shot 46.1% from the field and 37.6% from three, production that now sits in sharp contrast to the smaller role he saw this season.
The Lakers also nearly traded him to Charlotte at the deadline before the deal collapsed when Mark Williams failed his physical. Before February's trade deadline, they reportedly shopped Knecht again without finding a taker.
Summer roster and trade path
Knecht made his stance plain ahead of his basketball camp at UT, where he told reporters he didn't want to talk about the Lakers. That answer fits the larger picture: Los Angeles has been overhauling its roster around Luka Doncic and LeBron James, and Knecht's summer absence leaves his next step tied to whether the Lakers keep him or move him.
The contract still gives the Lakers leverage. They exercised his $4.2 million team option for the 2026-27 season back in October, and he still carries a roughly $6.5 million option for 2027-28. The clearest reading now is simple: he is not part of the Lakers' summer league roster, but he remains a player they may try to trade again this summer.
