Los Angeles Lakers’ biggest mistake early in 2025 NBA free agency

What made up for the Lakers’ lack of size, especially in the aftermath of their failed trade for Mark Williams back in February, was that they had Dorian Finney-Smith, a hyper-switchable wing who can moonlight as a small-ball five. Finney-Smith allowed the Lakers to play a soft zone defense, allowing them to defend in space and shapeshift depending on the opposition.

The numbers don’t lie; for a stretch towards the end of the regular season, the Lakers had the best defense in the league. And according to PBP Stats, the Lakers were over 12 points better whenever Finney-Smith was on the court, outscoring opponents by nearly 11 points per 100 possessions during his minutes. That would have been the second-best net rating in the league (behind only the Oklahoma City Thunder).

Thus, there was much consternation when Finney-Smith declined his player option. But this didn’t exactly mean that he was already headed elsewhere. The Lakers could have re-signed him to a longer deal at a similar dollar amount per season.

Alas, the Lakers didn’t even put up much of a fight when it came to keeping Finney-Smith, as they watched him sign with a contending rival in the Houston Rockets on a four-year, $53 million deal — a contract that’s more than fair for someone with Finney-Smith’s versatility, corner three-point shooting, as well as his experience defending the best of the best.

Finney-Smith is not a game changer by himself. But on a team with James and Luka Doncic commandeering the ball, his low-usage, three-and-D ways made him a perfect fit for the Lakers.

It looks as though the Lakers decided not to bring Finney-Smith back because they already have someone in mind to sign using the full midlevel exception. Maybe that ends up being the correct decision in the long run. Perhaps the Lakers could still rectify the situation and trade for someone like Andrew Wiggins, as some rumors have them doing.

But Finney-Smith is a role player any team with contending aspirations would want to have, and it helped that he played the best basketball of his career alongside Doncic, the Lakers’ star. Jake LaRavia might be a nice flier, but he’s no Finney-Smith.

Purple and Gold may have competition for Deandre Ayton

In the immediate aftermath of Deandre Ayton’s buyout agreement with the Portland Trail Blazers, the Lakers immediately stood out as his potential next destination. It only made sense; the Lakers are in desperate need for a starting center, and it seemed like Ayton, who averaged a double-double last season, was going to fall into their lap.

Ayton is an athletic presence at the rim who will thrive off of Doncic and James’ playmaking heft. He also has the added utility of a smooth midrange shot, and when locked in, he can be quite the presence on the interior. Alas, it’s not a given now that the Lakers will sign him, as another team in need of a new starting center has emerged in the Indiana Pacers.

On Tuesday, the Pacers lost Myles Turner to the Milwaukee Bucks in a bombshell turn of events. Indiana reportedly refused to offer more than $60 million over three years — an offer that the Bucks’ eventual four-year, $107 million agreement with Turner blew out of the water.

At present, the Pacers have Tony Bradley as the only center on the roster. Perhaps they decide to re-sign Thomas Bryant and the injured Isaiah Jackson soon. But those players are not starting-caliber big men, which could then open up the possibility that the Pacers revisit their interest in Ayton, whom they tried to sign from the Phoenix Suns on a four-year, $133 million deal in 2022.

Considering that the Pacers have more flexibility than the Lakers do and have already expressed interest in Ayton in the past, the Purple and Gold have to be sweating their chances of signing the 26-year-old big man. If they lose out on him, then it would be devastating to not just miss out on a young starting-caliber center for cheap (effort issues notwithstanding) but also miss out on re-signing Finney-Smith in the process.

Is Jake LaRavia the answer?

The Lakers’ reported first call in this year’s free agency was to Jake LaRavia, someone whom head coach JJ Redick has plenty of exciting plans for. LaRavia is only 23 years of age and has flashed a well-rounded offensive game, being able to shoot, dribble, and pass the rock. He’s not just a standstill 3-and-D player; he can also make plays for himself and for others. At 6’8″, he is also defensively versatile.

But at the end of the day, LaRavia was someone who averaged 6.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists last season. The good free agents are being picked up day after day, so time is ticking for the Lakers to sign someone other than LaRavia.