The Los Angeles Lakers just made their first splash of the trade deadline after being quiet for a long, long time on that front. According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the Lakers shipped D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis, and three second-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton.
Milton has quietly been having a solid year, especially from beyond the three-point line, but Finney-Smith is the prize of the deal. He should give the Lakers some great depth on the wing, as well as a huge boost on the defensive side of the ball. His versatility as a plug-and-play 3-and-D guy will be perfect for LA.
And now, it seems clear which player the Lakers may trade next
D'Angelo Russell for Dorian Finney-Smith trade makes Rui Hachimura more expendable
Finney-Smith will likely step in as a starter for the Lakers. Or, at the very least, a high-end bench guy. So far this year, Finney-Smith is averaging 10.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists while shooting 45.9% from the floor and 43.5% from beyond the arc. He makes it much easier for LA to offload Rui Hachimura in another deal, as the Lakers now have some extra forward depth.
Hachimura has been having a solid season this year. He’s averaging 12.5 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 1.6 rebounds while shooting 48.4% from the field and 45.2% from behind the three-point line.
Perhaps that will be enough for the Lakers to want to keep him around, but his salary could be the perfect way for them to add more depth at another position.
The 26-year-old makes $17 million this season. When combined with the salaries of guys like Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt, LA could trade for a guy making around the $28 million mark.
That opens up the possibility of adding another high-level rotation player to the mix, and maybe even a starter. Players like John Collins, Anfernee Simons, Kyle Kuzma, and Bruce Brown could be potential targets for the Lakers if they are willing to pay the price and include those three players in a deal.
Keeping Hachimura would also be a completely valid option, but the addition of Finney-Smith makes his presence less of a necessity and more of a luxury. And if the Lakers feel as though they would rather parlay his contract into another player, they now have more rotational flexibility to do so.
Finney-Smith’s veteran presence will make an immediate impact in the Lakers locker room as they attempt to push forward toward a playoff berth.
And since the Lakers didn’t have to give up a first-round pick in the deal to get him, they could package some in a deal that includes Hachimura’s salary to get a player who may fit their roster better. The addition of Finney-Smith makes Hachimura the obvious next candidate to be thrown around in trade talks.