With the 2026-27 NBA regular season set to tip off in less than three weeks, training camps across the league are serving as high-stakes battlegrounds for roster survival. While blockbuster offseason reshuffles, such as LeBron James and Jaylen Brown forming a new duo in Philadelphia, or Giannis Antetokounmpo and Klay Thompson’s move to Miami while Kawhi Leonard finally returns to Toronto, have dominated the offseason headlines, front offices are quietly executing crucial back-end roster decisions around these blockbuster moves.

Under league rules, teams must trim their active rosters to a 15-player maximum (plus three two-way slots) before Opening Night. While several organizations are still searching for budget-friendly talent to reach the 14-player roster floor, others face severe logjams.

Multiple franchises must release or trade proven rotational veterans and promising former first-round picks to get under the threshold. Five major names facing potential cuts, along with key team battles across the league.

Dalton Knecht – Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers enter training camp with 16 players under standard contracts, forcing GM Rob Pelinka and head coach JJ Redick into a difficult math. The Lakers are pivoting toward a younger core around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. With Walker Kessler as the guaranteed starter, only one roster spot remains—and Knecht is the likely cut. 25-year-old wing Dalton Knecht finds himself on the roster bubble alongside guard Jaden Hardy.

Knecht, a former first-round pick who was previously dangled in trade discussions, including the voided Mark Williams deal with Charlotte, has struggled to solidify a permanent role in Los Angeles.

Pelinka recently acknowledged that the 16th spot will be decided either through training camp competition before their opener against the Warriors or via a consolidation trade. If a trade fails to materialize before Opening Night, Knecht risks being the odd man out or becoming a potential waiver candidate.

Cam Christie – LA Clippers

After a turbulent month, and with new interim CEO John Gibson and interim president of basketball operations Trent Redden, the LA Clippers are carrying 16 players into camp as they retool their depth chart following Kawhi Leonard’s departure. To address their roster crunch and clear two-way availability, the Clippers recently waived Johni Broome and Jamarion Sharp before signing 2022 first-round guard Blake Wesley to a camp deal.

These secondary moves put second-year guard Cam Christie directly on the rotation fringe. Christie holds a non-guaranteed contract that fully guarantees on October 15. With Jordan Miller earning a standard contract and Gradey Dick added to the wing rotation via trade, Christie lacks a clear path to playing time.

The most logical solution for the Clippers is waiving Christie and transitioning him onto their vacant third two-way contract alongside Jalen Pickett and Nick Martinelli, keeping him in the organization while opening a standard roster spot. Or perhaps Brandon Ingram’s injury might give them a chance to explore the possibility of a backup.

Jordan Hawkins & Kris Murray – Memphis Grizzlies

The Memphis Grizzlies face one of the most drastic roster cuts in the NBA. Even after trading Ja Morant, then waiving D’Angelo Russell (who subsequently signed overseas in China), Memphis still holds 18 standard contracts and must shed three players before the regular season begins. They have a heavy concentration of guards like Cam Spencer, Ty Jerome, and Scotty Pippen Jr. in the mid-tier rotation.

With young core pieces like Walter Clayton Jr. and Olivier-Maxence Prosper secured, the strain falls heavily on the injury list. Newly acquired wing Micah Peavy is expected to be waived after recently sustaining an ankle injury.

That leaves former New Orleans Pelicans shooting guard Jordan Hawkins and former Portland Trail Blazers forward Kris Murray fighting for the remaining spots. Hawkins faces immense competition against the other guards. Meanwhile, Murray, who arrived alongside Jerami Grant in the Ja Morant trade, will compete against an improving GG Jackson and rookie wing Karim Lopez. Barring a multi-player trade, both Hawkins and Murray face a high potential to be waived.

Caris LeVert – Milwaukee Bucks

In the wake of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s departure, the Milwaukee Bucks are committing to a full youthful rebuild around featured star Tyler Herro and newly appointed head coach Taylor Jenkins. The front office is prioritizing minutes for a deep collection of recent draft picks and young talent, including Ryan Rollins, Kel’el Ware, Kasparas Jakucionis, Brayden Burries, Nate Ament, Ousmane Dieng, and Jaime Jaquez Jr.

This younger push leaves the Bucks with 17 active players and very little room for older veterans. Not to mention a brow-raising contract to Gary Trent Jr. that’s under NBA investigation has made them an unfavorable destination for free agents.

While non-guaranteed big man Pete Nance is expected to be waived in favor of Bogoljub Marković, 32-year-old Caris LeVert remains the most likely cut candidate. Acquired from the Detroit Pistons in an offseason salary dump, LeVert has no clear rotational role behind Herro, Gary Trent Jr., and AJ Green.

If Milwaukee cannot find a trade partner for LeVert, he could be waived, instantly becoming one of the top veteran free agents on the market.

Pat Connaughton – Charlotte Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets hold 16 players on their roster, but their path to reaching the 15-man limit is remarkably straightforward due to contract structures. Veteran guard Pat Connaughton holds the roster’s sole non-guaranteed contract, making him the most exposed player on the squad.

Despite Connaughton’s respected veteran presence in the locker room, Charlotte’s priority is to make the acquisitions of Naz Reid and Dennis Schroder among a very busy offseason work with young prospects like Sion James and Liam McNeeley, while keeping center Moussa Diabaté off the trade market. But the team also has early injuries to consider.

That leaves no extra standard spot available. While veteran forward Royce O’Neale could eventually be flipped before the February trade deadline, the Hornets are expected to keep O’Neale for now. Consequently, Connaughton is the default candidate to be waived before contracts guarantee, though a return to Charlotte later in the season remains a possibility if front-office trades free up roster spots.