Dorian Finney-Smith helped lead the Los Angeles Lakers to the third seed in the Western Conference thanks to his gritty defense and outside shooting.
The Lakers acquired him from the Brooklyn Nets a couple of weeks before the NBA trade deadline and he instantly became one of their best rotation players. While Finney-Smith came off the bench, he wound up closing most games. Head coach JJ Redick even elevated the forward to be a starter in their Game 5 matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Suffice to say that Los Angeles greatly benefitted from having Finney-Smith on the roster, but heading into the offseason it was an open question as to whether or not he’d return. Finney-Smith declined his player option for the 2025-26 season, opening the door for him to walk in free agency for nothing.
While Los Angeles hasn’t been ruled out of the running, it appears the Houston Rockets are beginning to express interest in signing Finney-Smith, via NBA insider Jake Fischer:
The Houston Rockets have emerged as a viable free agent landing spot for Dorian Finney-Smith, league sources tell @TheSteinLine and me, after the veteran declined his $15.4 million player option for 2025-26 with the Lakers today.
More NBA from us: https://t.co/uH1l3UTHHR
— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) June 29, 2025
The Rockets have been one of the early winners of the summer after their blockbuster deal with the Phoenix Suns netted them Kevin Durant. Houston was only forced to give up Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and draft compensation to land Durant, so they have every reason to continue aggressively adding to their roster.
Losing Brooks hurts the Rockets defensively, so it makes sense for them to target wings like Finney-Smith who can come in and assume the same role. While he might not be the same athletically, the 32-year-old remains a smart defender who can guard multiple positions, a necessity in today’s NBA.
Los Angeles still has an opportunity to retain Finney-Smith, though, and perhaps the hang up between the two sides is the number of years on a potential deal. The Lakers are motivated to keep their books clean to help bring in star players to pair with Luka Doncic, so it’ll be interesting to see if they’re willing to bend a bit and do what it takes to keep Finney-Smith.
If the Lakers do not retain him though then they will be able to open up their full mid-level exception to find a replacement on the market.
Dorian Finney-Smith reflects on first season with the Lakers
Dorian Finney-Smith fit in seamlessly as soon as he arrived to Los Angeles and spoke fondly of his experience with the Lakers when reflecting on this past season.
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