Lakers Expected to Pursue Former Warriors, Grizzlies Guard in Free Agency: Report

The Los Angeles Lakers are off to a horrid start to the 2025 free agency period. Although they signed forward Jake LaRiva within the first couple of hours of free agency, they lost their key veteran, forward Dorian Finney-Smith, who proved to be a vital piece of the team down the stretch.

Not only did the Lakers lose Finney-Smith, but they also lost him to their Western Conference rival, the Houston Rockets. The Rockets have bolstered their roster like no other this offseason, while the Lakers still have a ton of work to do.

The loss of Finney-Smith is detrimental; however, it appears the Lakers have options available. According to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, the Lakers are expected to pursue veteran guard De'Anthony Melton.

“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,” Stein and Fischer wrote.

This was written before Finney-Smith officially signed with the Rockets. Now that he is headed to Houston, the Lakers could make a move on Melton.

Melton, 26, enters free agency as a potential buy-low option following a tough end to his 2024-25 campaign.

After appearing in just six games for the Warriors, his season was cut short by a torn ACL. Prior to the injury, though, he was steady — averaging 10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 40.7 percent from the field and a strong 37.1 percent from beyond the arc.

Despite the injury, Melton profiles as the kind of defensive-minded guard the Lakers typically value. He thrives at the point of attack, using quick hands and sharp anticipation to blow up actions and generate stops.

Throughout his career, Melton has quietly delivered consistent two-way production. In 356 games across stints with Memphis, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Golden State, he’s averaged 9.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game while shooting 41 percent from the field and 36.9 percent from three.

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