Dalton Knecht was selected with the No. 17 pick by the Lakers in 2024 but his future with the franchise appears murky, Dan Woike of The Athletic reports.

Noted for his outside shooting, Knecht doesn’t have a rotation spot coming out of training camp. He could be traded now or kept on the roster to facilitate a deal down the road. But it’s also possible he could be waived with the front office eating the remaining $4.2MM on his contract.

“They drafted me for a reason, so I just go out there and keep hooping and stay confident. I don’t think anything has changed from that,” he said. “… No matter who I am out there with. I think nothing has changed. It is just part of the business and no hard feelings. They understand. I came back here and they showed open arms, so it’s cool.”

Coach J.J. Redick noted that Knecht is in a “tough spot” due to roster changes.

“The team changed. The needs changed, the fit changed,” Redick said. “I think he got better as a player over the last two years. I think each guy has, particularly last year, each guy got plenty of opportunities with the amount of injuries we had. So I just think coming into this year, we added a lot of wings and he’s in a tough spot right now.”

Here’s more on the Lakers:

• Quentin Grimes does have a role but it’s uncertain if he’ll be in the starting lineup regularly, Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times writes. Grimes wasn’t in the starting five for the preseason finale on Friday after starting the previous four games. Grimes averaged 12.3 points, 2.5 assists and shot 53.3%, including 41.2% from three-point range, in 24.3 minutes per game in the preseason. “I think you’re looking for balance in lineups and you’re looking for players that complement and fit each other,” Redick said. “He’s going to start a lot of games for us. That’s just the reality of it. I don’t know who our base starting group is yet.”
• Another court filing has been made in the dispute between acting governor Jeanie Buss and other members of the Buss family, Dave McMenamin of ESPN reports. Submitted to the Los Angeles Superior Court, the new court document was filed on behalf of Joey and Janie Buss in opposition to their sister and her previous petition seeking to remove them as co-trustees and void the siblings’ 5-1 vote to sell the family’s remaining stake in the team. The filing follows a 36-page opposition submitted to the court Oct. 7 by all five siblings, which argued their right to terminate the family trust and sell their remaining 17.82% of the team to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger’s ownership group after the pair agreed to purchase the Lakers from Mark Walter at a $12.5 billion valuation.
• Ziaire Williams scored 14 points in the Lakers’ preseason finale but only played 11 minutes. He’s been dealing with a minor foot injury. “It’s important, man, just to get game reps with each other, but health is key,” he said, per Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the Los Angeles Times. Williams is playing on a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract he signed in July.