Dorian Finney-Smith Opts Out, per Shams

[Mamba Mentality]

So much for betting on the power of friendship. Would be a massive loss for the Lakers.

[Slim Tubby]

"The Smothman Prophecies" foretold a flight to HOU.

Sent from my N152DL using RealGM mobile app

[Kiss of Death]

The Rockets real need is at guard, so I don’t get this one.
Good player, sure but they are loaded at forward.

Read on Twitter

?s=46&t=Czvoq_OfH0ZSMgHqWBWrFA

[MrGoat]

I assume his agent already has an offer that makes it worth turning that option down, the question is which team with space is it?

[grindtime22]

I assume his agent already has an offer that makes it worth turning that option down, the question is which team with space is it?

I assume he has a full mle deal for multiple years on the table somewhere

[bisme37]

"The Smothman Prophecies" foretold a flight to HOU.

Sent from my N152DL using RealGM mobile app

I've been looking at this headline all day and somehow didn't notice it says Smoth until just now haha.

Now I'm wondering if the OP misspelled Smith or meant to say Dorian Finney-Smooth, which would be a pretty cool nickname imo.

[cupcakesnake]

They need a rim-running center who can defend. Once they get that piece (and I'm certain they will), they'll be a tough team to deal with.

I think what we learned from this season/these playoffs is that you need to be DEEP. Phoenix missed the playoffs. The Lakers got smoked. Every team that made some noise had 8+ playoff rotation level players.

So my bigger concern with he Lakers potentially losing DFS is that they've got a long road to go trying to put a team around Luka. They currently have 4 guys they like (Luka, Lebron, Rui, Reaves). They don't need just one thing. They need like 4 or 5 more things! They've already decided one of those things is Bronny.

I agree. I attribute their lack of depth to them constantly trading away their picks for 'win now' players. That being said, I think it's going to be tough for them to pivot anytime soon. I suspect they're stuck with extreme talent at the top, and below league average through the rest of their roster. LeBron and Luka may just be enough to overcome, though. As a Thunder fan, they've both burned me too severely for me to be comfortable counting them out.

I gave them the respectful fear treatment when my T-Pups played them in the first round, but it was not merited this time around.

To be fair, this was likely an awkward down year for Luka. He was poorly conditioned and injured all year. They also can improve a lot by adding really simple pieces (a starting level rim runner, a quicker guard), but losing Finney-Smith isn't a great start to their offseason.

I'm done with Lebron as a primary piece. He's still amazing and I love watching him play, but he doesn't put any functional pressure on a defense. This version of Lebron is productive and smart, but he has almost nothing to do with the version of Lebron we're afraid of. He doesn't puncture a defense, he doesn't draw two to the ball (even JJ admitted that), so he's reliant on attacking gaps in the defense (he's no longer the guy who can create gaps). He also has big holes in his game defensively, so you need a lot around him. Hard to put a lot around him at 50m.

We'll see if the Lakers can pull some rabbits out of some hats this offseason, but I wouldn't be surprised if next year was also painful transition.

[durden_tyler]

Definitely a key cog for any title/playoff contender. Who else has money for his full MLE?

[cupcakesnake]

If he goes then Lakers open up the full $14m MLE and $5m BAE.

Any targets you like better than DFS?
Every minute DFS was off the floor in the playoffs, the Lakers felt completely helpless.

[zimpy27]

If he goes then Lakers open up the full $14m MLE and $5m BAE.

Any targets you like better than DFS?
Every minute DFS was off the floor in the playoffs, the Lakers felt completely helpless.

Wolves was the only match up issue I saw for Lakers in the West. Just an unfortunate first round matchup.

DFS size and ability to play on Cs is part of the issue here. I think a Big would lower the need for DFS. So if Lakers can get a better C rotation instead of DFS I see at as a win.

They can still trade for more wing defense. And I think they are targeting Wiggins for this reason.

[cupcakesnake]

If he goes then Lakers open up the full $14m MLE and $5m BAE.

Any targets you like better than DFS?
Every minute DFS was off the floor in the playoffs, the Lakers felt completely helpless.

Wolves was the only match up issue I saw for Lakers in the West. Just an unfortunate first round matchup.

DFS size and ability to play on Cs is part of the issue here. I think a Big would lower the need for DFS. So if Lakers can get a better C rotation instead of DFS I see at as a win.

They can still trade for more wing defense. And I think they are targeting Wiggins for this reason.

I think it's aggressively wishful thinking that the Lakers problems were just one nightmare matchup. The holes they showed against the Wolves (no rim protection or backline defense, weak rebounding, weak POA defense, no speed, very little ability to penetrate, and most of all: no depth) would have been problems against any theoretical opponent. Like imagine what Houston would have done to the Lakers on the offensive glass. Imagine the Lakers trying to touch the paint against Houston or OKC. Imagine Rui guarding Zubac against the Clippers. I can see the Lakers maybe getting in a nice fight against Golden State or Memphis, but in general I can't see what you're seeing.

Alas, we feel very differently about this. To me the Wolves series was proof the Lakers weren't a real team. For you it was a bad matchup and they were.

So... I think DFS is a way better defender than Wiggins. Wiggins is good on the ball, and he's an amazing athlete, but he's low focus and low motor, and does very little off the ball. He's good for shutting down a single matchup, but that one playoff run in Golden State has looked liked an abberation. DFS guards bigger, and does way more off the ball, helping generate turnovers and protecting the paint. The numbers agree: catch-all metrics put DFS in the 87th percentile of defenders, and Wiggins in the 33rd. On top of that, Wiggins makes double what DFS is likely to make. The Lakers could likely trade for him, but I'd be way more into adding Wiggins to a team that already has DFS. The Lakers need multiple defenders, not just one.

[zimpy27]

Any targets you like better than DFS?
Every minute DFS was off the floor in the playoffs, the Lakers felt completely helpless.

Wolves was the only match up issue I saw for Lakers in the West. Just an unfortunate first round matchup.

DFS size and ability to play on Cs is part of the issue here. I think a Big would lower the need for DFS. So if Lakers can get a better C rotation instead of DFS I see at as a win.

They can still trade for more wing defense. And I think they are targeting Wiggins for this reason.

I think it's aggressively wishful thinking that the Lakers problems were just one nightmare matchup. The holes they showed against the Wolves (no rim protection or backline defense, weak rebounding, weak POA defense, no speed, very little ability to penetrate, and most of all: no depth) would have been problems against any theoretical opponent. Like imagine what Houston would have done to the Lakers on the offensive glass. Imagine the Lakers trying to touch the paint against Houston or OKC. Imagine Rui guarding Zubac against the Clippers. I can see the Lakers maybe getting in a nice fight against Golden State or Memphis, but in general I can't see what you're seeing.

Alas, we feel very differently about this. To me the Wolves series was proof the Lakers weren't a real team. For you it was a bad matchup and they were.

So... I think DFS is a way better defender than Wiggins. Wiggins is good on the ball, and he's an amazing athlete, but he's low focus and low motor, and does very little off the ball. He's good for shutting down a single matchup, but that one playoff run in Golden State has looked liked an abberation. DFS guards bigger, and does way more off the ball, helping generate turnovers and protecting the paint. The numbers agree: catch-all metrics put DFS in the 87th percentile of defenders, and Wiggins in the 33rd. On top of that, Wiggins makes double what DFS is likely to make. The Lakers could likely trade for him, but I'd be way more into adding Wiggins to a team that already has DFS. The Lakers need multiple defenders, not just one.

I stated that before Lakers even matched with Wolves. I favoured Lakers vs every other team in the West.

Anyway, I think we've gone over this discussion in the past.

I think DFS and Wiggins are a wash defensively. I don't see why Lakers do it other than championship experience and past all star nods.

[ball_takes23]

Definitely a key cog for any title/playoff contender. Who else has money for his full MLE?

theres a lot of smoke around DFS to Houston right now. but he could just be using them as leverage to re-sign

[NO-KG-AI]

Any targets you like better than DFS?
Every minute DFS was off the floor in the playoffs, the Lakers felt completely helpless.

Wolves was the only match up issue I saw for Lakers in the West. Just an unfortunate first round matchup.

DFS size and ability to play on Cs is part of the issue here. I think a Big would lower the need for DFS. So if Lakers can get a better C rotation instead of DFS I see at as a win.

They can still trade for more wing defense. And I think they are targeting Wiggins for this reason.

I think it's aggressively wishful thinking that the Lakers problems were just one nightmare matchup. The holes they showed against the Wolves (no rim protection or backline defense, weak rebounding, weak POA defense, no speed, very little ability to penetrate, and most of all: no depth) would have been problems against any theoretical opponent. Like imagine what Houston would have done to the Lakers on the offensive glass. Imagine the Lakers trying to touch the paint against Houston or OKC. Imagine Rui guarding Zubac against the Clippers. I can see the Lakers maybe getting in a nice fight against Golden State or Memphis, but in general I can't see what you're seeing.

Alas, we feel very differently about this. To me the Wolves series was proof the Lakers weren't a real team. For you it was a bad matchup and they were.

So... I think DFS is a way better defender than Wiggins. Wiggins is good on the ball, and he's an amazing athlete, but he's low focus and low motor, and does very little off the ball. He's good for shutting down a single matchup, but that one playoff run in Golden State has looked liked an abberation. DFS guards bigger, and does way more off the ball, helping generate turnovers and protecting the paint. The numbers agree: catch-all metrics put DFS in the 87th percentile of defenders, and Wiggins in the 33rd. On top of that, Wiggins makes double what DFS is likely to make. The Lakers could likely trade for him, but I'd be way more into adding Wiggins to a team that already has DFS. The Lakers need multiple defenders, not just one.

As usual, thr Lakers had the Nuggets right where they wanted them

[doogie_hauser]

Think he stays at the Lakers, he just wants to get some financial security which is understandable

[facothomas22]

Sounds like a good idea for DFS to enter Free Agency. He would be quite useful for any playoff level team. Should have a good amount of suitors.

[ConSarnit]

Opting out was always a pretty wise move.

Starting level 3+D sf/pf available in free agency:

DFS

That’s it. That’s the list. If you are trying to fill that position he is your only option.

[zimpy27]

If he goes then Lakers open up the full $14m MLE and $5m BAE.

Any targets you like better than DFS?
Every minute DFS was off the floor in the playoffs, the Lakers felt completely helpless.

Ayton?

[vxmike]

If he goes then Lakers open up the full $14m MLE and $5m BAE.

Yup. Lakers gonna get a full MLE guy (? NAW), a BAE guy, and then Ayton for the minimum.

[mkot]

If he goes then Lakers open up the full $14m MLE and $5m BAE.

Yup. Lakers gonna get a full MLE guy (? NAW), a BAE guy, and then Ayton for the minimum.

I can see it, Lakers always get teams to donate their talent and players to sign for less than market value