The Los Angeles Lakers are approaching a crossroads with veteran forward Dorian Finney-Smith, and according to NBA insider Zach Lowe, the power dynamic might be shifting in Finney-Smith’s favor.
Speaking on The Zach Lowe Show, Lowe laid out a fascinating scenario regarding Finney-Smith’s upcoming player option decision and the strategic leverage his camp holds.
"He has a fifteen-million-dollar player option for next year. I said on a previous podcast, boy, would I love to be Dorian Finney-Smith’s agent because I get to do some real agenting."
"It’s like, you traded real stuff for me. I’m a three-and-D wing. Luka likes me. Luka’s played with me in Dallas. You need me on this team. I think that we’re coming up against his player option deadline in a couple of days."
"What I meant by that was it would be fun to sort of use the leverage that I thought I would have over the Lakers, as his agent, to get a nice long-term deal at a decent rate to lock me in for the rest of my career, the rest of my prime, whatever, if I’m Dorian Finney-Smith."
"I’m very interested to see what comes of this situation. Does he just opt in and they can’t reach a deal? Is that actually what the Lakers maybe want? Maybe we don’t want to pay eighty million over the next five years or whatever for Dorian Finney-Smith."
"Maybe we want him to opt in, and then we can sort of make a decision in a year, one way or another. Does he dare to opt out and test a market that just isn’t there with cap room, other than Brooklyn basically and maybe one other team, but we’ll get to them, and I don’t think they’ll actually have cap room? Just something I’m watching for."
The Lakers gave up D’Angelo Russell (a former All-Star on an expiring contract), prospect Maxwell Lewis, and three second-round picks to acquire Finney-Smith and reserve guard Shake Milton from Brooklyn.
Though the outgoing package may not seem enormous, it represented real value, particularly for a Lakers team already short on flexible assets. With that price tag in mind, L.A. can’t afford to lose Finney-Smith for nothing.
The Lakers now face a critical deadline. Finney-Smith has until Sunday to decide whether to opt into his $15 million contract for the 2025–26 season. If he declines, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent on Monday.
The Lakers would then have the option of offering a fresh four-year deal worth $90.2 million. However, if he opts in and waits until after the free agency moratorium lifts on July 6, the team could offer him the largest possible extension: four years, $96.5 million.
At 32, Finney-Smith may not light up the scoreboard; he averaged just 7.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in a limited offensive role, but his value lies in elite defense, floor spacing, and switchability. In today’s NBA, those skills command a premium. And with the Lakers already scrambling to solve their center problem, losing a premier 3-and-D wing would create another major hole.
There’s also the Luka Doncic factor. Sources say Doncic wasn’t thrilled when Dallas traded Finney-Smith in the Kyrie Irving deal, and the two have remained close.
Now that Luka is with the Lakers and still adjusting to his new surroundings, upsetting him by letting his trusted former teammate walk could risk future chemistry, or worse, contract tension.
Finney-Smith, by all accounts, has made it clear: he won’t take a pay cut. With minimal cap space across the league, especially outside of Brooklyn and one or two other teams, the Lakers might believe they can call his bluff. But the stakes are high, and as Lowe hinted, Finney-Smith might just have enough leverage to force L.A.’s hand.
If they want to stay competitive and keep Luka happy, they may have no choice but to pay up.
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