The Los Angeles Lakers project to be one of the busiest and most active teams during free agency as they have several holes on their roster that need addressing.
The obvious need for the Lakers is at the center position as they are thin in the frontcourt and need more size and rim defense. Los Angeles has been linked to numerous options, including Brook Lopez and most recently Deandre Ayton, though they are also expected to express interest in other names as well.
Aside from a true big man, the Lakers also need more perimeter defense and athleticism. Los Angeles appears set to lose Dorian Finney-Smith in free agency as teams like the Houston Rockets are preparing to make the versatile forward an offer.
Should Finney-Smith leave in free agency, Los Angeles is expected to express interest in De’Anthony Melton, via NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer:
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.
Melton is projected to be fully healthy for the 2025-26 season, so a team that signs him could be getting a bargain. He is the perfect complementary piece for someone like Luka Doncic as he doesn’t need the basketball to be effective. Melton is great as a secondary playmaker and scorer, while defensively he’s been solid going up against other guards.
It remains to be seen what Melton’s market looks like, but given his injury history he should fall into L.A.’s price range. If Finney-Smith does walk in free agency, the Lakers would open up the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception worth $14.1 million, giving them the spending power to sign Melton and perhaps another impactful player.
With so many moving pieces, Melton doesn’t seem like the type of deal to get announced in the early going of free agency. However, Los Angeles shouldn’t wait to sign him if he’s willing to come on a value deal because of his clean fit next to Doncic and the rest of the roster.
Lakers interst in Suns’ Nick Richards
While the Lakers might be limited in terms of how much they can spend in free agency, they’ve got several contracts worth throwing into trades. For example, Los Angeles appears to be eyeing Phoenix Suns center Nick Richards on the trade market.
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