The Los Angeles Lakers let Dorian Finney-Smith walk in free agency just months after giving up three second-round draft picks to acquire him, but it was the right move. Doe-Doe had a close relationship with Luka Doncic from their days in Dallas together. It seemed like he would stay, but the Rockets offered a four-year, $52.7 million contract that was too good to pass up. The deal looks disastrous after Finney-Smith has been traded twice and only played eight garbage-time minutes in the Hawks' first three games.
Doe-Doe declined a $15.4 million player option in the summer of 2025 to enter free agency. He had surgery on his left ankle that had been bothering him for a couple of years. The Lakers wanted cap space for the summer of 2026 and were only interested in giving Finney-Smith a short-term deal. He found a long-term pact in free agency and moved on.
Passing on a 6’7 forward with a history of playing well next to Luka seemed like a questionable decision by Rob Pelinka and the Lakers’ front office. The fact that the Lakers gave up three second-round picks to acquire him months earlier made it seem worse. LA got 43 regular-season games and a first-round playoff exit from Finney-Smith. It was not great value in the trade, but the purple and gold wisely didn’t make it worse.
Dorian Finney-Smith struggled to return from ankle surgery
Finney-Smith didn’t play on Christmas Day 2025. He missed the Rockets' first 27 games recovering from the June surgery and has never looked the same. The 33-year-old was in and out of the Rockets rotation last season. He ended up averaging just 3.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.0 assist in 16.8 minutes per game over 37 contests last season.
He started the first-round playoff series against the Lakers out of the rotation, but head coach Ime Udoka turned to Finney-Smith with Kevin Durant sidelined. Doe-Doe was minus-26 in 49 minutes over the final four games of the series.
Finney-Smith struggled to make shots and defend, which had Houston looking to move on. They gave up three second-round draft picks to trade him to Charlotte in July. The Hornets flipped Doe-Doe to the Hawks to land Buddy Hield and Ryan Nembhard just two months later. Finney-Smith is making $14.1 million this season, but the contract is non-guaranteed for the 2027-28 season.
Dorian Finney-Smith isn’t in the Hawks rotation
Atlanta lost to the Knicks in the first round of the playoffs last season. They added Kingston Flemings in the lottery along with acquiring Luguentz Dort and Aaron Wiggins. They want to contend and have loaded up with wing depth to make that a reality.
Finney-Smith has played eight minutes in the first three games, and it wasn’t until Atlanta was up 39 on the Hornets in the fourth period that he saw the floor. Doe-Doe had three points, two rebounds, and one assist in garbage time. He was a DNP-CD against the Magic and Rockets.
The Lakers were right to prioritize cap space. Finney-Smith played a key 3-and-D role in his short time with the purple and gold. His familiarity with Luka helped the superstar find his footing in Los Angeles. The Lakers wisely moved on at just the right time.
Lakers remade their roster around Luka Doncic
They haven't missed Finney-Smith since he signed with the Rockets. The Lakers reached the second round of the playoffs last season with Doncic injured in the postseason. Los Angeles let nine players go in the offseason to completely retool around Luka. They finally got him the center he’s demanded since arriving from Dallas. The Lakers also got younger and more athletic to challenge the Spurs and Thunder in the loaded Western Conference.
Finney-Smith doesn’t fit the new mold. The 33-year-old forward has clearly lost a step and wouldn’t be flying around on defense like Ziaire Williams and Matisse Thybulle.
What seemed like a mistake in the moment has been proven to be the right move by the Lakers. Finney-Smith has not lived up to his four-year, $52 million contract. He cannot even get on the floor for the Hawks in just year two of the deal. Los Angeles wisely used their cap space to build a better-fitting roster around Doncic and looks dangerous. That wouldn’t have been possible if they kept Finney-Smith and others in Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles Lakers overpaid by giving up three second-round draft picks to acquire DFS, but Rob Pelinka deserves credit for cutting his losses when he did. It was a bold move that worked. Pelinka has made his share of blunders, but they aren’t all bad. Finney-Smith’s contract would be weighing down the Lakers' books if the front office didn’t let him walk.
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