As NBA teams finalize their rosters ahead of the 2026–27 regular season, front offices across the league are making high-stakes cuts, claiming former high draft picks, and exploring desperate trades. The New York Knicks filled their final roster spot with a former lottery pick, the Portland Trail Blazers parted ways with a recent champion, the Philadelphia 76ers locked in a towering fan favorite, and the Los Angeles Lakers accelerated trade discussions to unload backcourt depth.

Knicks Claim Former Number-Two Pick James Wiseman

The New York Knicks finalized their opening-night roster by waiving Bruce Brown and signing James Wiseman to the final available spot. According to league reports, Wiseman and Brown were the last two candidates standing after New York released Tony Bradley, Ochai Agbaji, and Drew Eubanks during training camp. Keeping both players would have pushed the Knicks past the luxury tax threshold known as the second apron, a financial boundary strictly avoided by franchise owner James Dolan.

Wiseman appeared in four preseason games for New York, recording his strongest performance in an 18-point, 10-rebound night against the Toronto Raptors. Selected second overall by the Golden State Warriors in the 2020 NBA Draft, the 25-year-old center has bounced across multiple franchises, logging his most active campaign with the Detroit Pistons during the 2023–24 season before a brief stint with the Indiana Pacers. With Mitchell Robinson and Ariel Hukporti departing this offseason, Wiseman will anchor the center rotation behind Karl-Anthony Towns and newly acquired veteran Andre Drummond.

Portland Trail Blazers Cut Jeremy Sochan Before Opening Night

The Portland Trail Blazers officially waived forward Jeremy Sochan just days before the regular-season tip-off. The ninth pick of the 2022 NBA Draft struggled to secure a permanent rotation role during a four-game preseason stint with Portland, scoring in double figures only during his team debut.

Sochan entered the previous NBA Finals in a unique administrative position, guaranteed a championship ring regardless of the series outcome. After beginning the season with the San Antonio Spurs, he joined the Knicks following a February waiver period, earning a title ring despite averaging just 6.9 minutes across 16 postseason and regular-season appearances for New York.

Philadelphia 76ers Secure Tacko Fall on Two-Way Deal

Facing a severe shortage of healthy interior players, the Philadelphia 76ers converted Tacko Fall’s short-term contract into a two-way deal. The 7-foot-5 center missed the entire preseason due to a hip injury, having last played in the NBA during the 2021–22 season with the Cleveland Cavaliers before spending time in China.

Philadelphia’s center depth has taken heavy hits during training camp. Franchise star Joel Embiid requires careful load management, primary backup Adem Bona missed the preseason with injuries, and newcomer Ariel Hukporti suffered a torn Achilles tendon minutes into his first preseason start. Reserve big man Dominick Barlow is also sidelined with back trouble.

Los Angeles Lakers Pursue Late-Preseason Trades for Dalton Knecht

The Los Angeles Lakers are actively exploring trade options to move guard Dalton Knecht before the regular season begins. According to NBA insider Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, Los Angeles has contacted the Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, and Utah Jazz regarding potential deals.

The Lakers initially hoped to package Knecht in a deal with Milwaukee to acquire center Jericho Sims, though Milwaukee rejected an offer centered around Knecht and a second-round pick. General Manager Rob Pelinka continues to evaluate two-for-one trade scenarios to secure frontcourt depth. Knecht addressed the ongoing speculation in an interview with The Athletic, noting that front office personnel have not addressed trade rumors directly with him while emphasizing his focus on on-court growth after averaging 4.2 points in 54 appearances last season.