Lakers Expected to Retain Veteran Following Luka Doncic Trade
The Los Angeles Lakers shocked the world Saturday night when they acquired superstar Luka Doncic in a blockbuster deal that saw Anthony Davis moved to the Dallas Mavericks. A trade of that magnitude is bound to have a domino effect, and that's the case for the Lakers as Doncic's arrival might help them retain an upcoming free agent.
Lakers Rumors: Doncic Trade Might Keep Finney-Smith in LA
On Sunday, HoopsHype's Michael Scotto reported that Doncic's arrival could help the Lakers retain Dorian Finney-Smith this offseason.
"The acquisition of Doncic is also noteworthy for Finney-Smith, his close friend and 3-and-D forward," Scotto wrote. "With Finney-Smith expected to decline his $15.38 million player option for next season and become an unrestricted free agent this summer... it’s safe to say Doncic will advocate for the Lakers to retain Finney-Smith."
Story: Reporting on what the blockbuster NBA trade means for Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis, why it happened, and what’s next for the Mavericks, Lakers, and Jazz, including notes on Max Christie, Quentin Grimes, Maxi Kleber, and PJ Tucker on @hoopshype. https://t.co/K2sNwRIi7D
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) February 2, 2025
Finney-Smith, 31, joined the Lakers — alongside Shake Milton — in a December trade that sent D'Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis, and a trio of second-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets.
The former Florida Gator's tenure has been mixed thus far. While he's averaging a meek 6.8 points while playing nearly 24 minutes off the bench, he's been fairly accurate by shooting 49.2% from the floor and 42.9% from deep. Still, that production doesn't necessarily match the near-$16 million price tag he could carry next season.
Fortunately, Doncic joining the Lakers could help Finney-Smith feel more comfortable in L.A.
The duo are "close friends" after playing parts of five seasons together on the Mavericks, according to Scotto, which includes when they went to the 2021-22 Western Conference Finals together. That postseason run was the best of Finney-Smith's career so far, averaging 11.7 points and 4.5 rebounds with .471/.426/.708 splits across 18 starts.
Time will tell when Lakers fans will see Doncic and Finney-Smith share the floor. The Slovenian superstar hasn't played since Christmas Day due to a calf injury and was originally expected to return on Feb. 8, per NBA insider Marc Stein.
In the meantime, all eyes will be on the Lakers to see if they make any more trades ahead of Thursday's deadline.
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