Of all the post-Jonathan Kuminga escapades that warrant an absolute HEAR ME OUT, this one is right near the top of the list. What about Dorian Finney-Smith? Should the Los Angeles Lakers have any interest in kicking the tires on reviving his playability after last season?
At first glance, anyone defiantly screaming "no" would be more than justified. Finney-Smith was awful with the Houston Rockets in 2025-26. That largely had to do with the uphill battle of getting healthy again after left ankle surgery. Ankles can take time, and perhaps enough of it has passed for him to be a viable rotation option again.
DFS was certainly a valuable contributor in Los Angeles during his brief run as a Laker. The veteran forward is also tight with Luka Doncic. That never hurts.
The Lakers have a clear hole at the starting forward spot after missing out on Kuminga. If there is a level of comfort with where Finney-Smith is from a health standpoint, there is a low-cost gamble here to explore. The best-case scenario of him becoming a player who resembles a borderline starter could warrant the low price of entry on taking a flier.
A revitalized version of Dorian Finney-Smith would fit the Lakers well
First, let us understand why this is such a low-risk maneuver. The Lakers still need to get the roster from 16 to 15. This is where the good ole reliable package of Jarred Vanderbilt and Dalton Knecht comes in.
Financially, the money adds up to get the deal done. Considering the player Finney-Smith was in 2025-26, the value for him is more than fair, too. Finally dumping that Vanderbilt contract would be a sizable win for the Lakers.
But wait, isn't Finney-Smith's contract longer than Vando's deal? That is what some people will immediately ask. Yes it is, but it comes with a beneficial twist for the Lakers.
Finney-Smith is under contract through the 2028-29 season. However, the last two years of his deal after the 2026-27 campaign are both not guaranteed. The Lakers could just outright waive him after this year and wipe their hands clean of the situation if things are not working out on their DFS flier.
Los Angeles would get to finalize the trimming of their roster, get rid of a bad contract, and gamble on reviving a role player who once looked indispensable during his Hollywood pitstop. If that last part does not work out, they walk away relatively unscathed.
This would probably require a multi-team deal. The Charlotte Hornets are already over the roster limit and should have little interest in a two-for-one trade. As long as that part of the equation can be properly accounted for, there could be a viable fallback plan here for the Lakers, assuming they cannot generate any other meaningful trade talks this offseason.
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