Lakers Reportedly Eye Deandre Ayton, 'Bracing' to Lose Dorian Finney-Smith to Rockets

It's no secret that the Los Angeles Lakers badly need to address the center position, though they may be losing Dorian Finney-Smith in the process.

According to Dan Woike of The Athletic, the Lakers are "bracing to lose forward Finney-Smith in free agency to a multi-year deal with the Houston Rockets, according to team sources," though it will free up the $14.1 million mid-level exception, with the team "expected to chase Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez and the Atlanta Hawks' Clint Capela, with the surprise addition of Portland Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton as another target on their list."

When Finney-Smith declined his $15.4 million player option, there was always the very real possibility he would find a new home on the open market. The 32-year-old is a valuable role player for contending teams, given his strong defense and ability to stretch the floor (41.1 percent from three last season).

He's the type of player who made sense alongside LeBron James and Luka Dončić, and his loss would leave players like Rui Hachimura and Jarred Vanderbilt to play an even bigger role for the team next season.

But while the Lakers have other legitimate options in Finney-Smith's role, center is an enormous need.

The 37-year-old Lopez would be a fantastic fit, able to provide both rim-protection (1.9 BPG last season) and floor-spacing (37.3 percent from three), though his rebounding numbers (5.0 RPG) have dropped in recent years. But his ability to hit shots from the perimeter would open up driving lanes for James and Dončić.

He wouldn't provide a rim-running option for Dončić in the pick-and-roll, however, at least not to the same level of Capela. The 31-year-old is a complete non-factor from beyond the arc but plays above the rim on both ends of the floor, offering rim-protection (1.0 BPG), rebounding (8.5 RPG) and the ability to be a solid roller offensively.

Ayton would somewhat split the difference between the two, and with a younger option. The 26-year-old isn't a good perimeter shooter but would offer more offensive upside than either Lopez or Capela, averaging 16.4 points, 10.5 rebounds and a block per game in his career.

Whichever route the Lakers go, addressing the center position is a must this offseason.