The Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors square off in the most prolific second-round NBA Playoffs series in recent league history. LeBron James and Stephen Curry are two generational players and their respective teams are two of the most iconic in the league.
At the end of the day, only one team can advance while the other team is left with an early offseason. Regardless of which boat the Lakers fall in, this playoff series vs the Warriors might be a sneak peek into what the future entails as Rob Pelinka is going to get an up-close look at some potential targets.
3 Warriors that might be future Lakers offseason targets:
3. Donte DiVincenzo
Donte DiVincenzo signed a two-year deal with a player option for the second season with the Warriors last summer. The Warriors are known for being a factory to turn around role players and increase their value on the open market, so it seemed like the best long-term move the former Buck could make.
While DiVincenzo has not had a meteoric rise with the Warriors, he has improved his game and that likely will lead to him opting out for a bigger deal. Golden State does not have the means to pay him but the Lakers certainly could.
Donte DiVincenzo could be an MLE target for the Lakers.
DiVincenzo is the kind of player that the Lakers might look to add with their mid-level exception. If the team goes over the luxury tax then it likely won’t be enough but as a non-taxpaying team, the MLE would be more than enough.
DiVincenzo would add a nice two-way presence that would essentially serve as what every fan thought Lonnie Walker IV was going to be. He can knock down his shots as an off-ball shooter, can create his own shot here and there in the regular season and can play solid defense on the perimeter.