There’s more than meets the eye on the Los Angeles Lakers losing their top free agent Dorian Finney-Smith to the Houston Rockets.
According to Anthony Irwin of ClutchPoints, the Lakers were initially looking at signing Finney-Smith to a two to three-year deal worth around a little under the midlevel exception.
It was lower than what Finney-Smith’s camp was expecting. And the wild story didn’t end there.
Getty Dorian Finney-Smith spurned the Los Angeles Lakers and signed with the Houston Rockets in free agency.
“On top of lowballing Dorian Finney-Smith, the word out there is that Rob Pelinka was going out there and talking to teams about Dorian’s [ankle] to try to tank Dorian’s free agency value and the offers that could potentially come in,” Irwin said on his podcast “The Lakers Lounge” on Monday, June 30, at the start of the NBA Free Agency. “Word is that it got back to Dorian and his camp.”
Finney-Smith underwent a left ankle surgery which cost him a combined 20 games with the Brooklyn Nets and the Lakers last season. He is expected to be ready for training camp.
So, even if the Lakers were to improve on their initial offer, Finney-Smith was not taking it, according to Irwin.
Lakers’ Quick Pivot
It was a bad look for the Lakers, who gave up three second-round picks just for a half-year rental of the 3-and-D wing. And interestingly, Finney-Smith is the closest teammate of the franchise’s newest star Luka Doncic, who is eligible for a rich extension later this summer.
The Lakers quickly pivoted from the reported mishap, signing 23-year-old wing Jake LaRavia as Finney-Smith’s replacement.
The 6-foot-8 LaRavia agreed to a two-year, $12 million deal with the Lakers, ESPN’s senior NBA insider Shams Charania reports. Finney-Smith bolted the Lakers to join the Rockets for a four-year, $53 million contract.
According to salary cap expert Yossi Gazlan, the Lakers used a portion of their $14.1 million full midlevel exception to sign LaRavia, which means they only have around $8 million and change to spend on free agency.
Still No Center
Going into the afternoon of the second day of the NBA Free Agency, the Lakers are still without a center.
Their reported targets have signed elsewhere, leaving them with only Deandre Ayton and Al Horford, who is the top target of their Western Conference rivals Golden State Warriors, as the only viable centers left in the market.
Brook Lopez chose instead Lakers’ crosstown rivals Los Angeles Clippers, while Clint Capela joined Finney-Smith in Houston.
Both veteran centers signed for more than what the Lakers can offer after the LaRavia signing.
Lopez agreed to a two-year, $18 million deal, per Charania. On the other hand, Capela agreed to a three-year, $21.5 million deal with the Rockets, Charania added.
Kevon Looney left the Golden State Warriors for the New Orleans Pelicans on a two-year, $16 million deal, according to Charania. Day’Ron Sharpe agreed to return to the Brooklyn Nets on a two-year, $12 million deal, according to Hoopshype’s Michael Scotto.
Deandre Ayton to Lakers?
NBA insider Chris Haynes reported that there is a strong possibility Ayton will be signing with the Lakers.
“All signs are pointing in that direction,” Haynes said on NBA TV.
It is worth noting that Ayton’s agent Bill Duffy of WME Sports also represents Doncic. Both players belong to the same draft class in 2018. Ayton went No. 1 to the Phoenix Suns while Doncic went No. 3 to the Atlanta Hawks but was later swapped for Trae Young and a 2019 draft pick (Cam Reddish) to end up with the Dallas Mavericks.
The Mavericks stealthily shipped Doncic to the Lakers in February in the most stunning trade in NBA history.
It remains to be seen whether Ayton will settle for the Lakers’ remaining portion of their MLE to team up with Doncic.
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