The Los Angeles Lakers kicked off their training camp this week and are preparing for their first preseason game against the Phoenix Suns on Friday. With the start of the regular season only three weeks away, October will provide an opportunity for a few veterans to earn head coach JJ Redick's trust and carve out a consistent role in the rotation. Until they do that, however, the following names remain on thin ice.
1. Gabe Vincent, PG
The Lakers displayed their desire to upgrade Gabe Vincent's role when they brought in Marcus Smart. The defense-first off-ball guard next to Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic's role will be very important for the Lakers as they need as much perimeter defense as they can get surrounding their stars. This player also has to knock down enough shots to keep defenses honest.
That is where Vincent has failed since joining the Lakers two seasons ago. While he has been a solid option as a point-of-attack defender, he hasn't been a reliable shooter. As a Laker, he has only made 33.2% of his three-pointers, and since he doesn't do much else on the offensive end, that is not good enough to earn consistent minutes.
Vincent is entering the final year of the three-year, $33 million deal he signed in the 2023 offseason. The expiring nature of his contract could make him a solid trade chip at the deadline, unless he can prove himself to be a solid three-and-D option to begin the season.
2. Jaxson Hayes, C
One of the more surprising decisions the Lakers' front office made this summer was re-signing Jaxson Hayes. The 25-year-old center had to play a large role for LA last season after the team was left without any quality big men following the trade deadline. Yet, he failed in this role so miserably that head coach JJ Redick preferred to play 40+ minutes a game without a center in the playoffs.
This year, Hayes will have a much smaller role as Deandre Ayton's backup. His playing time will likely go down from the 19.5 minutes per game he played last season, but he has to show a lot more to earn a consistent role.
Redick has shown time and again that he doesn't mind playing small for extended minutes. If Hayes is struggling with defensive intensity, effort, and physicality like he usually does, he could be out the door sooner rather than later.
3. Jarred Vanderbilt, PF/SF
Similar to Gabe Vincent's deal, this is another contract that the Lakers signed in the last two years that aged extremely poorly. Six months after acquiring him at the 2023 trade deadline as part of the Russell Westbrook deal, the Lakers gave Jarred Vanderbilt a four-year, $48 million extension.
Since then, Vanderbilt has only played in 65 games in two seasons. He remains an impactful and versatile defender who can guard multiple positions and make plays on that end of the floor. Everything else, however, is a work in progress. Since he is already 26 years old and his offensive game has shown very little improvement since arriving in the league, it's hard to imagine Vanderbilt becoming a meaningfully different player next season.
What complicates matters for the Lakers is that Vanderbilt is under contract for another season after this one and has a player option worth $13.2 million for the 2027-27 season. That may make him difficult to trade, but Lakers fans can rest assured that general manager Rob Pelinka will be making some calls throughout the season.
4. Dalton Knecht, SF/SG
Has anyone been on thinner ice than Dalton Knecht is with the Lakers? The team already tried to trade him at last year's deadline before it was rescinded when Mark Williams failed his physical with the Lakers. It's not hard to imagine that the front office is still trying to move their recent first-round pick.
With the addition of Doncic, Knecht's prospects in Los Angeles are not looking promising. The Lakers already have enough defensive liabilities in their backcourt, and they must surround them with as much defense and athleticism as possible. Knecht obviously doesn't fit that bill, and he didn't shoot at a high enough level as a rookie to make up for all the weaknesses in his game.
The Lakers must hope that his trade value hasn't tanked to untradeable levels. If there is a rebuilding team willing to take a chance on the already-24-year-old shooting guard, the Lakers should and will listen to any offers.