While the Luka Doncic trade shook up the league, the Los Angeles Lakers made another shrewd move before the NBA trade deadline by acquiring Dorian Finney-Smith from the Brooklyn Nets.
The Lakers had been linked to Finney-Smith in trade rumors and the team was able to land him in exchange for D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and multiple second round picks. Almost immediately, the forward became a trusted member of head coach JJ Redick’s rotation. He served in his traditional 3-and-D role while even playing as the small-ball center in certain lineups.
While Los Angeles’ season ended earlier than most hoped, Finney-Smith acquitted himself well with the team during the second half of the year. The 32-year-old was projected to be a pivotal piece for the Lakers to keep in free agency, though things did get murky after he opted out of his player option for the 2025-26 season to test free agency.
Unfortunately, Finney-Smith and the Lakers may be headed their separate ways as the organization is bracing to lose him to the Houston Rockets, per Dan Woike of The Athletic:
The Lakers are bracing to lose forward Dorian Finney-Smith in free agency to a multi-year deal with the Houston Rockets, according to team sources. The loss of a valuable wing — and a beloved teammate of Dončić’s — will create a void on the perimeter. However, Finney-Smith’s exit will open up a pathway for the Lakers to be aggressive in targeting the top available centers in free agency.
This was not be ideal for the Lakers as they would lose one of their best defenders and corner 3-point shooters on the roster. Finney-Smith is seemingly gets the years and money he was looking for in Houston, but if he leaves, the Lakers must look elsewhere to upgrade their roster after losing the player they traded multiple picks for last season.
Additionally, Finney-Smith is extremely close with Doncic, who the Lakers are hoping to sign to a massive extension when he is eligible in August. It remains to be seen if losing the wing will affect Doncic’s desire to stay long-term, although the pressure was definitely be on the front office to find a quality replacement.
The good news is that losing Finney-Smith would open up the full mid-level exception for the Lakers, giving them around $14 million to spend in free agency. While this summer’s class isn’t great, there are some quality pieces out there that would fit well in L.A., especially at the center position.
Dorian Finney-Smith underwent ankle surgery in offseason
Dorian Finney-Smith, like most players, was banged up by the time the playoffs came around and he reportedly took the time this offseason to address his ankle by getting surgery with the expectation that he will be ready for training camp.
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