Popular Kings Trade Target Heading to Western Conference Rival

Popular trade target Dorian Finney-Smith heads to Los Angeles amidst Kings struggles.

Nov 19, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith (28) warms up before a game against the Charlotte Hornets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Sacramento Kings are free-falling in the Western Conference and just saw one of their competitors bolster their rotation with one of the most popular wings on the trade market.

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Los Angeles Lakers traded D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton.

BREAKING: The Los Angeles Lakers have agreed on a trade sending D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton, sources told ESPN. pic.twitter.com/V175zGtmKW

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 29, 2024

While Russell was playing key minutes for the Lakers, the fit with the roster was tenuous and upgrading him to add more wing depth should help the Lakers down the stretch run.

For the Kings, Finney-Smith was one of the most popular trade targets in Sacramento, with the organization being repeatedly linked to him and Cam Johnson.

Not only were they unable to bring in the 6-foot-7 wing, but they have to see him go to someone else in the West, a repeating trend from last year where multiple teams made moves to improve while the Kings stood pat at the deadline.

There’s obviously still time to make a move this year, but with both the Lakers and Golden State Warriors already making moves to improve their rosters, time is ticking for the Kings. In a seller’s market with so many teams in contention, impact players won’t be available for long.

At 13-19, the Kings are getting to, or already surpassed, the point where a player like Finney-Smith would fix all of the issues with the roster.

While he may not fix everything, he’s the exact type of player the Kings are searching for; a lengthy wing who can play defense and hit threes. Finney-Smith is just another player to cross off the growing list of hopeful trade candidates for Sacramento.

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