Unless you have been living under a rock, you know the Los Angeles Lakers are over the roster limit heading toward the start of the 2026-27 regular season. That makes training camp an important proving ground for several members of the roster. A future in Hollywood is on the line.
Rob Pelinka will need to bring the roster down to 15 before opening night. There are five players who will need to maximize this upcoming stage or risk being axed before the new season officially tips off.
Dalton Knecht
When looking at the 16 guys currently on the main roster for the Lakers, Dalton Knecht would stand out to most as number 16. That makes a strong training camp all but a necessity for the young wing, should he want to remain in Los Angeles.
That part of it is the intriguing bit. Does Knecht want to stay with the Lakers?
Mark Williams may have done irreparable damage on his psyche in Los Angeles. A fresh start could be best for everyone. If Knecht would rather prove he can still find a role with the Lakers, restoring confidence in his long-term future is a must for his training camp experience.
Without that, getting traded or waived is certainly on the table for the former first-round pick.
Jaden Hardy
Jaden Hardy also finds himself in a difficult position with the Lakers over the roster limit. Hardy is stuck among a crowded depth chart in the backcourt.
Without the assurance of being an every night rotation player, the new Lakers guard needs a strong camp to show he is a worthwhile depth option to keep around. Just because Hardy is built in that scoring guard mold that Pelinka favors, does not mean his future is secure.
$6 million is his cap hit for the 2026-27 season. That is followed by a team option for 2027-28 at the same value. Hardy's contract is mightily tradeable for the Lakers in any situation that calls for it.
Bronny James
There has been nothing to indicate the Lakers are intent on cutting Bronny James loose. Quite the opposite, James will get his first real chance to step out of his father's shadow in Los Angeles.
Even so, it is hard to ignore that James is much closer to the bottom of the Lakers totem pole than the top. That inevitably does put him in the line of fire here. It is on Bronny to fully escape that during the upcoming Lakers training camp.
James has shown signs of growth throughout his time in Los Angeles. That offers good reason as to why the franchise has not kicked him to the curb despite the vocal folks out there who will preach about the nepotism that was once at play here. Bronny can quiet that crowd once more with a standout training camp that puts him past yet another pivotal checkpoint in his young career.
Jarred Vanderbilt
Jarred Vanderbilt has a little more job security than some of the others on this list for a few reasons. For starters, the forward position is weak and that gives him a chance at redemption. Furthermore, it does not hurt that he and Luka Doncic appear to have a good relationship.
More so than the two previous points, the main reason why Vanderbilt could survive a major roster shake-up is his contract. His $12.4 million cap hit has made him tough to move. Tough does not mean impossible, though.
If the undeniable conclusion the Lakers come away with in training camp is that everyone else on the roster brings more value than Vanderbilt, perhaps Pelinka will exercise all his power to move that contract before the season starts. That is why a good training camp still matters a ton for Vando.
Jake LaRavia
Jake LaRavia is expendable for the Lakers in the event of him ending up like Hardy. Yes, there is a clear opportunity for him to be in the rotation due to the vacancy at starting forward. If LaRavia does not secure playing time, he could get an exit from Los Angeles instead.
Similarly to Hardy, a $6 million cap hit makes Jake very tradeable. That is even more true considering LaRavia is an expiring contract. Training camp will help determine what the Lakers forward is closer to — a starting gig or a ticket off the team.
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