Facing roster crunch, Lakers, Bucks, Grizzlies reportedly exploring trades

When the NBA season tips off on Tuesday, teams can only have 15 guaranteed contracts on the roster (plus three two-way contracts).

Three teams — the Lakers, Grizzlies and Bucks — currently have 16 or more guaranteed contracts on their rosters. Each team is exploring trades to reach 15 players, but may end up just waiving someone, reports NBA insider Jake Fischer.

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The Lakers have been exploring for months a 2-for-1 trade that could send a combination of Jarred Vanderbilt (who has looked like an odd man out in the rotation much of this preseason), Jaden Hardy and Dalton Knecht to get a player back. There were rumors they explored that kind of trade for Buddy Hield, but it never came together. They are still looking, according to Fischer.

If the Lakers have to waive someone and eat the salary, Knecht — the 2024 No. 17 pick out of Tennessee — appears to be the guy. After two seasons, he has fallen out of favor in JJ Redick’s rotation.

Memphis has 16 guaranteed contracts, plus Jaylen Wells, who is on a non-guaranteed deal but, from all reports, is likely to make the opening-day roster. That means the team needs to trade or waive two players. Signs seem to point to Kris Murray and Micah Peavy — two players the Grizzlies traded for this summer — as the most likely to go.

Milwaukee technically has 17 players, so two must go, but with Pete Nance on a non-guaranteed deal, he is likely one of them. Reports out of Milwaukee suggest veteran Caris LeVert could be the other guy. Milwaukee traded for him this summer primarily to acquire two second-round picks, he is on an expiring $14.8 million contract, and he has struggled in the preseason.

If the Bucks can find a trade, it is more likely to be for someone of value around the league like AJ Green or Kevin Porter Jr., who could net the Bucks a second-round pick or two.

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/facing-roster-crunch-lakers-bucks-160222418.html

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Publish date : 2026-10-15 16:02:00

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