The Los Angeles Lakers were the clear-cut winners of the NBA trade deadline after acquiring Luka Doncic, but they should also get a ton of credit for swinging a deal for Dorian Finney-Smith last December.
The Lakers traded D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and multiple second-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Finney-Smith and Shake Milton, giving them the tough and gritty 3-and-D wing that had been missing on the roster.
Head coach JJ Redick had to have been pleased with the move given he had a previous relationship with Finney-Smith dating back to their time together on the Dallas Mavericks. Redick knew what kind of player he was getting in Finney-Smith, a tough defender who can guard multiple positions and knock down open 3-pointers. Shortly after being traded, Redick immediately threw Finney-Smith into the rotation though he had to work his way back from a previous ankle injury.
Finney-Smith eventually earned a larger role on the team, playing heavy minutes off the bench and even starting games when Redick wanted to go smaller. Redick showed his trust in the veteran by starting him in Game 5 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, a game that the Lakers went on to lose.
While it was a disappointing end to Finney-Smith’s half season in Los Angeles, it was even rougher seeing him leave in free agency for the Houston Rockets. The Lakers were able to rebound in free agency, but losing a player like Finney-Smith is tough when they could still use another wing defender and spot-up shooter.
2024-25 Highlight
Finney-Smith made the biggest impact as a quality defender, but he also had several moments where his offense helped carry the Lakers to a win. His biggest scoring outing came at the end of March in a pivotal game against a fellow Western Conference contender in the Houston Rockets.
Both teams brought the physicality and defensive toughness that defines the playoffs, and Houston made sure to try and limit LeBron James and Luka Doncic as much as possible. While the star duo combined for just 36 points, Finney-Smith took advantage of wide-open looks and dropped 20 points on 6-of-11 shooting from beyond the 3-point line.
2025-26 Outlook
The Lakers and Finney-Smith weren’t able to come to terms on a contract extension, so the forward decided to sign with the Rockets. Finney-Smith signed a four-year, $52 million contract, though the final two years are non-guaranteed.
Reports indicated that Finney-Smith did not leave the Lakers on good terms, which isn’t surprising considering many expected him to re-sign.
Finney-Smith is expected to resume a bench role, though he fits perfectly with Houston’s core players and defensive identity.
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