The Los Angeles Lakers have plenty of issues to address this NBA offseason, but one that has unexpectedly emerged is finding a replacement for Dorian Finney-Smith.
Finney-Smith opted out of his contract with the Lakers, though he did that to try to secure a longer-term contract, more than to send a message. Because he may have a strong enough market to bolt, the Lakers may have to find someone who could replace what he does. It looks like they already have someone in mind.
De’Anthony Melton Named as Lakers’ Dorian Finney-Smith Replacement
Per Marc Stein and Jake Fischer, the Lakers have their eye on De’Anthony Melton, who last played for the Golden State Warriors.
“If the Lakers lose Finney-Smith, they are expected to show interest in De’Anthony Melton, who was only able to play in six games last season with Golden State due to an ACL tear and was traded by the Warriors in December to Brooklyn for Dennis Schröder,” they wrote.
They also elaborated on the potential benefit of losing him, even though it would still be a blow.
“Losing Finney-Smith would obviously be a tough blow… not only because of his two-way ability but his status as one of Luka Dončić’s favorite teammates but it would potentially benefit the Lakers’ bookkeeping,” they wrote. “Finney-Smith’s exit would unlock the full $14.1 million midlevel exception for the Lakers, who badly need to come away with a front-line center from the business they conduct this week.”
Russell Westbrook has emerged as a potential free agent target for the Knicks and Al Horford is a top target for Golden State, league sources tell @JakeLFischer and me.
LOTS more here in this What We’re Hearing compilation as the 6 PM ET bell draws near: https://t.co/bZDtCeAViL pic.twitter.com/sgJ9aSIgjY
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 30, 2025
In the six games he played for the Warriors, Melton averaged 10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists while shooting 40.7% from the field and 37.1% from three. He was a tertiary playmaker for Golden State, as his assist average doubled Finney-Smith’s. Not only could he be a replacement, but he could be a potential upgrade for the Lakers.
However, he is coming off an ACL tear, so there’s no telling how he will fare when he returns to the court. However, if he is back to the same player he was before suffering his season-ending knee injury and Los Angeles adds some dependable frontcourt help, that’s about as optimal of an offseason as the Lakers could have hoped for.
