On Sunday, LeBron James let the Los Angeles Lakers know that he will exercise the player option on his contract for next season, while forward Dorian Finney-Smith decided to turn down his player option and become a free agent.
Whether Finney-Smith decides to stay with the Lakers on a new contract or leave could at least partially dictate what they look to do in terms of going after other players, as the 32-year-old veteran became one of their most important players after they acquired him in a late December trade.
But the Lakers also have a need to develop young players. They picked up Jordan Goodwin from the G League at midseason, and he showed some promise on both ends of the floor. Meanwhile, center Christian Koloko, a center they signed to a two-way contract last offseason, may have a bit of potential.
The team has picked up its team option on Goodwin, and it has also tendered a two-way qualifying offer to Koloko, which will make him a restricted free agent.
Goodwin, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard, averaged 5.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.0 steals in 18.7 minutes a game while making 38.2% of his 3-point attempts during the regular season. The 26-year-old impressed many by consistently hustling for rebounds and loose balls while making a strong effort on the defensive end.
Meanwhile, Koloko has the ability to block shots and rebound, as well as convert on lob passes. He appeared in 37 regular-season games for L.A. after missing all of the 2023-24 campaign due to a blood clot issue.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Lakers make contract decisions on Jordan Goodwin, Christian Koloko
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
