LeBron James talked with reporters on his 40th birthday following Monday's practice. The Los Angeles Lakers' recent trade with the Brooklyn Nets was among the subjects that surfaced. James provided a scouting report of sorts on Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton, who were both acquired in the deal, via Lakers Nation.
"Obviously they bring experience," James said of the Lakers' new players. "They bring toughness, guys that have played in big games and have mastered their roles throughout their careers. And I'm looking forward to them getting into our system... That should be fun."
LeBron is excited about playing with Finney-Smith and Milton. Barring unforeseen circumstances, it appears that Finney-Smith and Milton will be available for the Lakers' game on Tuesday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Lakers needed to add depth. In fact, they can still benefit from acquiring another depth player or two. The trade with the Nets should help the team's current situation, though. LA has played well over the past couple of weeks, but the Lakers have also been inconsistent at times in 2024-25. Perhaps they can develop further consistency after acquiring Finney-Smith and Milton.
Both players have enjoyed strong careers in the NBA. They have experience as James said, and they are both capable of impacting a winning team. No, they are not superstars but Finney-Smith and Milton may play important roles for the Lakers.
Lakers building momentum in 2024-25 season
The Lakers will enter Tuesday's game against the Cavs having earned victories in five of their past six games. Los Angeles is playing a quality brand of basketball at the moment, and they are hoping to continue building momentum moving forward.
The Cavaliers, however, have the best record in the entire NBA with a 28-4 mark as of this story's writing. The Lakers are the home team on Tuesday, but upsetting the Cavaliers is going to be a challenge. Perhaps James will have added motivation as prepares to go head-to-head with his former team.
It will be especially intriguing to see how many minutes Finney-Smith and Milton play in their Lakers debuts. The Lakers now have to determine what Finney Smith and Milton's roles will be on the team. As mentioned, they could both play important roles, but the specifics remain to be seen.
The Lakers' new players will do everything they can to help the team win a third consecutive game on Tuesday night.