What Adding Dorian Finney-Smith Means for the Lakers

Sunday’s deal could be a big one for the Los Angeles Lakers.

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

On Sunday morning, the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets reportedly agreed to another NBA trade, sending ripples throughout the league.

Los Angeles added Brooklyn forward Dorian Finney-Smith and guard Shake Milton, sending off a young prospect in Maxwell Lewis, returning guard D’Angelo Russell to Brooklyn and three second round picks.

Finney-Smith was the centerpiece of the deal, as Brooklyn has reportedly been shopping win-now assets in hopes of garnering even better 2025 NBA Draft odds, and the wing has been highly coveted. 

But what does that actually mean for the Lakers?

Finney-Smith is amid one of his better seasons ever, shooting 44% from beyond the arc on over five attempts, and offering patented stingy defense. That, of course, is a boon to the Lakers, who play a heliocentric style around Anthony Davis and LeBron James, and can always use more shooting and defense.

Finney-Smith is a career 36% shooting on around four attempts, but it seems Los Angeles is willing to gamble that he’ll continue to shoot the strings off the net this season, even wearing the purple and gold.

Adding the sharpshooter does come at a cost, though. Russell started 10 of the team’s 29 games, and did offer a good chunk of ball-handling in his 26 minutes played a night. Even more, he added 4.7 assists, a stat Finney-Smith certainly won’t be able to replicate.

It seems the Lakers front office is keen on giving even more ball-handling duties to the likes of James and guard Austin Reaves.

It’s likely not a bad bet, as the Lakers currently stand at No. 5 in the West and just out of reach of true contention. It remains to be seen if the team’s recent deal will pay off in the long run.

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