The feeling over the summer was that former Tennessee Vols guard Dalton Knecht would be traded by the Los Angeles Lakers before the start of the 2026-27 NBA season.

But that hasn’t happened yet, and the season is set to start in just a few weeks (the Lakers’ first game is October 21).

Knecht flashed as a rookie two years ago, but he’s fallen out of favor in Los Angeles over the last 18 months.

The Lakers seemingly drafted Knecht’s “replacement” earlier this summer when they selected former Baylor and Tennessee guard Cameron Carr in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft.

The California Post believes Dalton Knecht is in danger of not making the Lakers’ roster

The Lakers have some roster decisions to make before the start of the season, and it could mean that Knecht is left without a roster spot in Los Angeles.

“It’s no secret that the Lakers are facing a roster crunch ahead of the regular-season start in 2 ½ weeks,” noted The California Post’s Khobi Price this week. “That doesn’t bode well for Dalton Knecht, who could find himself on the outside looking in.”

“With a significant roster reconstruction around star guards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, there’s plenty of playing time to go around. … but it’s unlikely Knecht will soak up those minutes,” added Price.

Price pointed out that Knecht wasn’t mentioned by Lakers head coach JJ Redick or president of basketball operations/general manager Rob Pelinka during any of their media availabilities this offseason until Thursday (when Redick was asked about Knecht).

JJ Redick on Dalton Knecht, who's entering his 3rd season with the Lakers, and his approach to training camp: "First of all, he's been a pro. He's been in the gym. Like he has since Day 1, he has worked his butt off all offseason. And he's had a good three days of practice. So I… pic.twitter.com/heNsCTg6px

— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) October 1, 2026

Whether it’s via a trade or getting waived, the best thing that can happen for Knecht is that he makes like Kurt Russell and escapes from LA.