The Los Angeles Lakers have finalized their roster ahead of the regular season, making several difficult decisions that affect both their depth and future flexibility. The team officially announced the departure of four players through waivers, reducing head coach JJ Redick’s options as he prepares for his sophomore season. These moves come amid growing concerns about the development and trade value of one of the team’s recent draft picks.

The Lakers announced they have waived guards RJ Davis and Augustas Marčiulionis, along with forwards Anton Watson and Nate Williams. Davis appeared in five preseason games, averaging 8.6 points in 16.1 minutes per contest. Williams averaged 4.2 points in his five preseason appearances, while Watson saw limited action in four games. These roster reductions limit Redick’s flexibility as he attempts to build rotation depth behind the team’s established stars.

All four players were on Exhibit 10 contracts, meaning their waivers were anticipated and allowed them to potentially join the Lakers’ G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers. After these moves, the Lakers’ roster stands at 14 standard contracts and three two-way players (Christian Koloko, Chris Manon, and Nick Smith Jr.).

Compounding the roster challenges, second-year wing Dalton Knecht is receiving negative evaluations from NBA scouts around the league. Lakers insider Jovan Buha reported that conversations with other teams reveal a pessimistic outlook on Knecht’s development.

Buha shared that one scout specifically mentioned “Dalton’s struggles and how especially from a decision-processing standpoint, there’s not been a lot of progress there.” The scout expressed significant skepticism about Knecht’s ability to read the game effectively on both ends of the court.

Knecht’s preseason performance has been concerning, with the 24-year-old shooting just 30.4% from the field and 22.6% from three-point range across five games. Selected 17th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, Knecht showed promising scoring flashes during his rookie season but has failed to build on that foundation.

His declining trade value presents an additional challenge for the Lakers front office as they operate in win-now mode with Luka Doncic leading the team. The organization had hoped Knecht could develop into either a reliable rotation piece or valuable trade asset.

However, following the preseason performance, there were other issues with the team as well, about which let’s discuss further.

Luka Doncic to JJ Redick’s rescue

The Los Angeles Lakers concluded their preseason with a narrow 117-116 loss to the Sacramento Kings, marking their fifth defeat in six exhibition games. Despite the disappointing record, star guard Luka Doncic used his limited playing time to identify a critical solution for one of coach JJ Redick’s biggest challenges.

Doncic’s analysis from both the court and sidelines provided clear direction for the team’s needed improvements.

When asked about areas needing growth before Tuesday’s season opener, Doncic immediately pinpointed the core issue. “Yeah, I think we start a little bit slow, not being physical. When we start games being physical, that’s when we were at our best. So we need to be more physical for sure, get in the ball, pick your roles; just be more physical,” Doncic stated.

His assessment came after observing the Kings outrebound the Lakers 40-33 and score 48 points in the paint during their preseason finale.

The Slovenian guard also highlighted a significant positive development in the team’s ball movement.

“I think it’s very important. 28 assists, I think that’s amazing. I know we could have a lot more. I missed like three or four laps, they’re normally good,” Doncic explained. “But I think it’s great. There was a lot of possession, everybody touched the ball, everybody was moving. So I think it’s very important to bring that into the regular season.”

This passing efficiency represented one of the team’s best offensive displays during the preseason schedule.

Doncic contributed 31 points, 5 rebounds and 9 assists in the losing effort against Sacramento. The Lakers intentionally limited his preseason minutes due to his recent EuroBasket participation, giving him only two appearances where he averaged 28 points.

His combination of statistical production and tactical insight provides Redick with both immediate solutions and long-term direction as the team prepares for their regular season opener against Golden State.