The Los Angeles Lakers wisely let Dorian Finney-Smith walk in free agency, and it only looks better as the Houston Rockets have the forward on the trade block, according to Jake Fischer. It was a disastrous season, and the Rockets hope to find a way to move on. It was so bad that Fischer didn’t name any interested teams, despite DFS being on a non-guaranteed contract after the 2026-27 season.
The Lakers gave up three second-round draft picks to acquire him in December of 2024 and let him walk in free agency just over six months later. Los Angeles just missed on Henri Veesaar in the draft because they didn’t have those picks to trade. It was shocking to see the purple and gold let a 3-and-D forward that Luka knew well walk just after acquiring him, but it was the right move.
Finney-Smith got a four-year contract worth $52.7 million from the Rockets in free agency, and Houston is already looking to move on. The 33-year-old is coming off the worst season of his ten-year NBA career and was disastrous in the playoffs. The Rockets want to jump into title contention and would love to get his $13.3 million for next season off their books.
The Lakers moved on from Dorian Finney-Smith at the right time
Finney-Smith played just 43 regular-season games with the Lakers, but he made an impact on both ends of the floor. The 6’7 forward shot 39.8 percent from 3-point range and played stout defense. He kept making shots and defending in the playoffs, but the Timberwolves knocked LA out in the opening round in just five games.
Doe-Doe needed offseason ankle surgery, and it clearly slowed him down last season. He averaged just 3.3 points and 2.5 rebounds in 16.8 minutes per game. DFS made just 27 of his 100 3-point attempts and shot 33.3 percent from the field. Things got so bad that he was out of the rotation to start the playoffs, despite being healthy. The 33-year-old was downright disastrous in his first season in Houston.
It is no surprise the Rockets are looking to move on, but the market figures to be limited. Finney-Smith never looked right and was even worse when Houston needed him in the playoffs. There is no reason to be excited unless the veteran can prove he has returned to his 2025 form.
Lakers fans were upset when Finney-Smith walked in free agency. It seemed like a waste of three second-round picks to get half a season of a 3-and-D forward, but the plan changed when LA stole Luka Doncic from the Mavericks. The Lakers wanted to prioritize cap space in the 2026 offseason. DFS wanted a multi-year contract and found one from the Rockets.
The Los Angeles Lakers look genius for letting Dorian Finney-Smith walk in free agency just months after trading for him. The Rockets signed him to a four-year contract and are ready to completely move on after year one. Doe-Doe is on the trade block per the latest rumors. Fans shouldn’t be surprised to see him sent packing this summer. Credit to Rob Pelinka and the front office for knowing when to cut bait.
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