By most accounts, the vibes were quite high for the Los Angeles Lakers during their trip to Slovenia. Despite that, at least a few of the guys there must have had an uneasy feeling in the back of their heads about the excursion being ultimately meaningless. That is because the Lakers are due to shed at least one of those players who made the journey.
Los Angeles is still carrying 16 players at the moment. That number will have to come down to 15 before Opening Night. Until then, there will be a few Lakers who are walking around with their head on a swivel, waiting for that Shams Charania tweet notification.
3 — Jake LaRavia
Jake LaRavia is not typically a part of the usual suspects regarding this discussion. However, there is reason to believe he has quietly supplanted Jarred Vanderbilt in the mix here.
It has less to do with LaRavia and more to do with Vanderbilt. The long and short of it? If the Lakers could have moved Vando and his lackluster contract by now, they would have.
LaRavia's $6 million cap hit on an expiring contract for the 2026-27 season is a much easier pill for a trade suitor to swallow. That is especially true considering the Lakers forward was a solid, albeit often uninspiring, rotation piece during 2025-26.
That said, Los Angeles will certainly not rush Jake out the door, given their hole at a starting forward spot. That puts LaRavia in this awkward spot of being as close to the starting job as he is to being exiled to another team for the upcoming campaign.
2 — Jaden Hardy
Similarly to LaRavia, Jaden Hardy has a very palatable contract for a trade suitor to look at and find desirable. The Lakers guard has two years remaining at $12 million, and that includes a team option in the second season. Hardy should be easy to move, if necessary.
The 24-year-old guard only arrived in Los Angeles earlier this summer, but most immediately identified him as a trade chip from the jump. Not much has changed in that belief.
The Lakers have solid guard depth to the point of not necessarily needing Hardy. That is a tough position to be in with your new franchise. Without a clear path to the rotation in Los Angeles, the young guard sticks out as mightily expendable in the right situation.
1 — Dalton Knecht
Dalton Knecht has long stood out as a player on the fringes of the roster in Los Angeles. That much has only become more relevant with the Lakers still searching for a way to finalize next year's group.
There is no reason to believe Knecht has a shot at regular rotation minutes with the Lakers in 2026-27. The former Tennessee product has not been particularly playable on a consistent basis since the early parts of his rookie season. Everyone knows about the Mark Williams-sized comet that came in to destroy that early foundation.
Knecht needs a fresh start. The Lakers need more draft picks. If the opportunity to swap him for second-round draft capital becomes available, one would imagine that deal gets done quickly.
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