Amid any and all of the preseason chaos that is about to unfold for the Los Angeles Lakers, there will be at least a few players fighting for their jobs ahead of the inevitable roster trim to get the team to 15 players before opening night. The preseason opener offered clues on where everyone stands.
Let us assume that Bronny James, Dalton Knecht, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Jaden Hardy are players 13 through 16 on the roster right now. That much feels fair. If one is choosing to read into JJ Redick's rotations in the 127-103 win against the Sacramento Kings on Monday, there is a clear pecking order.
Bronny is the only player who got first half minutes in Sacramento. Redick tapped him to slide up the rotation with the absences of Austin Reaves and Collin Sexton. That gives James a sense of safety and security.
Hardy eventually check into the game during the third quarter for a little over four minutes of action. Knecht and Vanderbilt? They did not play until the true garbage time minutes in the fourth, officially becoming the last two main roster players to step on the floor. That is not a good sign for either.
A consolidation trade with Dalton Knecht and Jarred Vanderbilt makes more sense than ever
It was rumored throughout the offseason that Los Angeles was searching for a way to offload Knecht and Vanderbilt together in a trade. That pursuit may need a refocused effort before the regular season starts if Rob Pelinka is aligned with what Redick is showing him.
Granted, this is only one game we are talking about. The Lakers will be back on the court against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday. Why there is a back-to-back on the preseason schedule is beyond me, but there will be a quick opportunity to once again see how those two get handled.
If Redick continues to give both players the short end of the stick, it will be even more indicative of how Knecht and Vanderbilt are viewed by comparison to their peers.
In Vando's case, there is comfort in his contract being just bad enough to potentially keep him in town. Knecht, by every stretch of the imagination, should have a real estate agent on speed dial. The third-year wing appears to be unlucky number 16 right now.
In a perfect world, the Lakers would be fortunate to package the pair for more frontcourt depth behind Walker Kessler. There have been no takers thus far. When Knecht and Vanderbilt are not figuring into Redick's plans, and Pelinka is dealing with little leverage, it makes sense.
All the same, at least one of the two is poised to be shaken loose before the games start to count.
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