A critical free agent forward has abandoned the Los Angeles Lakers for the Houston Rockets in free agency.
Houston has had a dynamite offseason already, and we're just half an hour into the start of free agency.
The Rockets flipped the No. 10 pick in last week's NBA draft (which wound up being Duke center Khaman Maluach), five future second rounders, and wings Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for 15-time All-Star power forward Kevin Durant.
Although the two-time Finals MVP is not quite his prime Oklahoma City Thunder/Golden State Warriors self, the 6-foot-11 big man remains one of the elite three-level scorers in the game when healthy, and should help improve Houston from a scrappy No. 2 seed in the West this past season into a legitimate contender.
The Rockets also have inked veteran deals with incumbent vets Jeff Green and Aaron Holiday, per Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Neither player was a big part of Houston's locker room on its 52-30 team last season, although Green was a critical sixth man for the title-winning Denver Nuggets just two years ago.
Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura (28), forward LeBron James (23), guard Luka Doncic (77) and forward Dorian Finney-Smith (17)
© Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
ESPN's Shams Charania reports that the Houston Rockets are inking 3-and-D combo forward Dorian Finney-Smith to a four-season, $53 million deal.
More to come...