The Los Angeles Lakers let Dorian Finney-Smith walk in free agency just over six months after trading three second-round draft picks to acquire him, but the head-scratching decision was the right one. The 6’7 forward missed the first two months of the season recovering from ankle surgery. Things didn’t improve after his return. Finney-Smith played a career low in minutes and shot just 33.3 percent from the field in a disastrous season.
There were plenty of questions when Doe-Doe signed a four-year, $52.7 million contract with the Rockets last summer. The Lakers had just played him 34.0 minutes per game in the playoffs, and his close relationship with Luka Doncic from their Dallas days made it seem like a no-brainer that he would return. Fans couldn’t believe LA would trade multiple picks for 48 games of production. It hurt worse watching him go to the rival Rockets, but this season changed that.
Houston needed someone to step up when Kevin Durant was injured in the playoffs. Finney-Smith got into the rotation, but it didn’t help. Rob Pelinka looked smarter by the minute, and it was clear that the Lakers were right.
The Lakers were proven right by letting Dorian Finney-Smith walk in free agency
Finney-Smith averaged 3.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 16.8 minutes per game over 37 regular-season contests. He struggled to get consistent minutes and couldn’t hit shots. DFS made just 27.0 percent of his 3-point attempts and produced a negative value over replacement player (VORP) for the first time since 2018.
The Lakers eliminated the Rockets in the first round of the playoffs without Luka Doncic. Houston didn’t play Finney-Smith in the first two games. They did win two of the four games he appeared in, but the Rockets were outscored by 26 in his 49 minutes on the floor throughout the series. Doe-Doe was a virtual non-factor for Houston, and ultimately, that proved the Lakers right for letting him go.
This move certainly wasn’t flawlessly executed. The Lakers could have used those second-round draft picks spent on a half-season of Finney-Smith this year. The Lakers clearly needed more talent around Luka. It cost the only second-round pick LA had available to get Luke Kennard. Pelinka may have been able to add other needed pieces if he kept the powder dry.
The trade aside, it was wise for Los Angeles to let Finney-Smith walk. The 33-year-old hasn’t looked right since returning from ankle surgery. He appears to have lost some lateral quickness and burst. For an undrafted player who worked hard to get where he was, it was disappointing. DFS has three years left on his contract, and the Rockets may look to move on as part of a larger trade.
The Los Angeles Lakers were proven right for letting Dorian Finney-Smith walk after his first season in Houston. It was the worst year of his ten-year NBA career. Doe-Doe just never looked right. The Lakers moved on at the right time, and the Rockets are left trying to figure out what to do. All LA can do is work on putting the right pieces around Luka as Houston hopes for a DFS bounce back.
Add us as a preferred source on Google