Just six months after completing a season-altering trade for Dorian Finney-Smith, the Los Angeles Lakers lost the forward to free agency. It was a devastating turn of events, as Finney-Smith signed a four-year contract with the Houston Rockets.
In the aftermath of losing Finney-Smith, there's only one logical option for the Lakers: Remove the training wheels and give Dalton Knecht a real opportunity to contribute.
Finney-Smith arrived in Los Angeles at the end of December of 2024 and made an immediate impact on the team. He accumulated the best net rating of any Lakers player, playing a direct role in the in-season shift toward a more defensive-minded approach.
Unfortunately, Shams Charania of ESPN has reported that the Rockets have signed Finney-Smith, an unrestricted free agent, to a four-year, $53 million contract.
Free agent forward Dorian Finney-Smith has agreed to a four-year, $53 million deal with the Houston Rockets, sources tell ESPN. Finney-Smith's agent, Michael Tellem of Excel Sports, negotiated terms of the deal tonight with Rockets executives for the 3-and-D wing. pic.twitter.com/wUNbGn0rOy
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2025
As a result, the Lakers have been forced to fill a massive void along the second unit—and finally accept that Knecht can help offset the loss.
The door is wide open for Lakers to give Dalton Knecht a steady role
Losing Finney-Smith's defense will inevitably hurt the Lakers, as he was arguably the best perimeter defender on the team in 2024-25. That will be difficult to replace, albeit with optimism over what the future may hold for incoming rookie Adou Thiero.
The Lakers can improve their odds of success in another area, however, by empowering Knecht to lead a desperately-needed offensive improvement from the second unit.
Knecht looked the part of a dynamic scoring threat in 2024-25, balancing explosive three-point shooting exploits with the ability to attack at an admirable level for a rookie. That resulted in the 23-year-old averaging 9.1 points per game and 17.0 points per 36 minutes.
Knecht's defense ultimately limited his playing time, however, which has created the Lakers' current rotational crisis.
In saying that, what Knecht provides is reliable and efficient production in an area no other reserve has managed to. In 2024-25, the Lakers' bench players ranked dead last in points per 100 possessions despite having a rookie who stepped up whenever his number was called.
For perspective: Knecht averaged 16.7 points per game in 16 starts, shooting 46.1 percent from the field and 39.5 percent from beyond the arc.
It's also worth noting that Knecht played upward of 30 minutes on 12 occasions in 2024-25. During those outings, he averaged a third-star-caliber 21.8 points and 4.3 three-point field goals made per game while shooting at a clip of .503/.477/.769.
Some of those shooting numbers might come back down to earth, but with Finney-Smith out and an alternative needing to come in, Knecht has the skill set to offset the loss in a unique way.