When the Houston Rockets acquired Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns, everyone knew they meant business for the upcoming 2025-26 campaign. The move to steal Dorian Finney-Smith from the Los Angeles Lakers only adds to the rapidly shifting landscape atop the Western Conference.
Shams Charania announced, "Free agent forward Dorian Finney-Smith has agreed to a four-year, $53 million deal with the Houston Rockets, sources tell ESPN. Finney-Smith's agent, Michael Tellem of Excel Sports, negotiated terms of the deal tonight with Rockets executives for the 3-and-D wing."
A huge loss for the Lakers -- on multiple fronts. Weakens their perimeter depth and defense and strengthens their rival's. They also lose one of Luka's favorite teammates. We'll see how they bounce back with their $14.1 million NTMLE and $5.1 BAE. https://t.co/ik1kh9BSNp
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) June 30, 2025
The Lakers were already in a high stakes summer, failing to keep up in the race for Western Conference supremacy after Durant elevated the Rockets. Now, Rafael Stone has bettered his team's roster at the expense of another rival, lessening the Lakers in the process.
Trading D'Angelo Russell and a handful of second-round draft equity to acquire Finney-Smith was a great move from Rob Pelinka at the time. However, the Rockets took that move and quickly made it look foolish.
Budding rivalry continues to grow between two championship hopefuls
It will be painful for Pelinka and company to admit this, but it was absolutely a masterful stroke to lure away Finney-Smith. The Lakers' turnaround in the 2024-25 campaign aligns quite well with the arrival of the former Brooklyn Nets forward.
Finney-Smith brought a ton of attractive qualities with his versatility defensively and complementary offensive skill set. The added bonus of his friendship with Luka Doncic quickly departs with him as well. That is a tough look for a team hoping to extend the Slovenian superstar later in the summer.
Rivalries have been started for less. The Rockets and Lakers appear poised to be butting heads more than usual in the upcoming 2025-26 campaign.
Both Houston and Los Angeles would like to fancy themselves as a threat to challenge the Oklahoma City Thunder in the upcoming season. That kind of direct competition with not only the defending champions, but each other, should breed some natural contempt.
Seeing a key player like Finney-Smith switching sides between the two teams will not lighten up the situation either. Does anyone else remember how angry the Boston Celtics were when Ray Allen joined the Miami Heat?
Granted, that was a more nuanced situation. The Celtics and Heat had done battle in the NBA Playoffs for several seasons. The fire was always there.
Finney-Smith does not have the stature of someone like the legendary Allen. However, seeing a former teammate in the jersey of another team directly in one's way of a Larry O'Brien Trophy can, and very well might, brew up some animosity.
The Lakers are quickly losing ground in the arms race out West. That thought will not sit well with them during the summer.