The Los Angeles Lakers clearly did not view Dorian Finney-Smith as a key piece of their contending roster after letting him walk in free agency with zero return. It was a shock because of his close relationship with Luka Doncic, but DFS only got a four-year $53 million contract from the Rockets. The Lakers could have matched or exceeded that figure easily but wanted the future flexibility over locking him up long-term.
Rob Pelinka and the front office quickly pivoted to a bargain contract with Jake LaRavia to replace Finney-Smith. The 23-year-old took a significant step forward in 2025 but has never played more than 23.0 minutes per game. LaRavia should continue to improve. Still, he is far from a proven option. The Lakers have two superstars, but Rob Pelinka and the front office were not afraid to let LaRavia replace Doe-Doe.
That should tell fans all they need to know about the Lakers' thoughts on Finney-Smith. The franchise clearly did not value his contributions in his half-season in LA.
Lakers let Dorian Finney-Smith walk in free agency
The Lakers gave up three second-round draft picks and D’Angelo Russell’s expiring contract to trade for Finney-Smith in December 2024. Those assets netted them 43 regular season games and a first-round playoff exit. It was a terrible piece of business. The Lakers could have avoided that bad look, but did not care because they clearly do not value Finney-Smith.
The Lakers' actions spoke volumes. Nobody thought they would let him leave. Even when his player option was declined on June 29, many believed an extension announcement was coming. It never did. Instead, the Lakers proved their thoughts by letting him head to a conference rival in favor of keeping their cap sheet clean for the 2026 offseason.
Even that doesn’t make sense. Some team would have traded for Finney-Smith, especially if he was making less than the non-taxpayer mid-level exception. The Lakers clearly just did not want him on their roster moving forward.
The pressure is on Jake LaRavia to step up and fill a larger role. Finney-Smith played 35 minutes per game for the Lakers in the playoffs. Those minutes are now vacant, and the 23-year-old will get every chance to prove he is the right person for the job.
The Los Angeles Lakers clearly did not value Dorian Finney-Smith. They let him walk in free agency just months after giving up three draft picks to acquire him. It was a shock, but the actions spoke volumes.