When Dorian Finney-Smith walks into Crypto.com Arena on Christmas Day, it will not just be another Christmas game on the schedule for the Los Angeles Lakers. It will be the first time he faces his former team, the team that traded for him, leaned on him, and then let him walk without much of a fight.
Last season, the Lakers made a calculated move. They traded D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis, and three second-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets for Finney-Smith and Shake Milton.
The thinking was clear: plug the defensive gaps, add shooting, and inadvertently set up Luka Doncic for a reunion with his longtime Dallas Mavericks teammate. It all worked, at least for a little while.
Lakers get holiday reminder of what they gave up
Finney-Smith was everything he has always been: a smart, switchable wing who did not need touches to impact a game. He averaged 7.9 points, shot nearly 40 percent from deep, and played tough defense without demanding the spotlight.
Then the season ended, and so did the relationship. Instead of offering a deal to keep him around, the Lakers chose future cap space. Finney-Smith declined his $15.4 million player option and signed a four-year, $53 million deal with the Houston Rockets. Talk about betting on yourself.
Finney Smith will now not only have the money but also a real role in Ime Udoka’s rising rotation. For the Lakers, it is a gut-punch on a few levels.
Not just because they gave up three draft picks for half a season of DFS. Not just because he is exactly the kind of role player teams need in the playoffs. But because his bond with Doncic was real and valuable.
They had four-and-a-half seasons of chemistry as members of the Mavericks, and it looked like that connection might anchor LA’s new era. Instead, the Lakers now face questions. Did they underestimate DFS’s value? Did they make the right call prioritizing flexibility over fit?
The front office did pivot, adding Jake LaRavia and Marcus Smart to refill the defensive depth chart. That does not erase the missed opportunity. Come December 25, the Lakers will see a familiar face in a Rockets uniform, one they probably should have kept.