<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-dorian-finney-smith-likely-miss-start-season-ankle-injury');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets’ Dorian Finney-Smith likely to miss start of season with ankle injury');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Finney-Smith-at-media-day.jpg"><figcaption>Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Rockets’ Dorian Finney-Smith likely to miss start of season with ankle injury</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-01T12:52:52-07:00">October 1st, 12:52pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-01T12:52:52-07:00">October 1st, 12:52pm</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University alum from Atlanta who graduated with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-fans-will-love-fred-vanvleets-hilarious-nba-media-day-take-amid-injury">Houston Rockets are just</a> a few weeks away from kicking off their 2025-26 NBA season with a game against the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder. It’s been a busy summer for the Rockets, headlined of course by the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-star-kevin-durant-bonding-with">addition of Kevin Durant.</a></p><p>One of the more under the radar moves that the Rockets made this offseason was signing free agent wing Dorian Finney-Smith, who <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/rockets/article/dorian-finney-smith-injury-surgery-houston-21078621.php" rel="noopener">opted to depart</a> from the Los Angeles Lakers.</p><p>Recently, Smith spoke on the ankle surgery he had this summer to address a lingering issue at Rockets media day, and now, the team has revealed more information about how that procedure might affect his status heading into the season.</p><p>“On Wednesday, Rockets coach Ime Udoka said that Finney-Smith is cleared for limited on-court activities but will ‘probably not’ be ready for the Oct. 21 season opener,” reported Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle.</p><p>Lerner also noted that “in the short term, Finney-Smith’s injury does open up more playing time for (Jabari) Smith, who was set to compete with Finney-Smith during training camp for a starting spot. It also clears a path to increased minutes for Eason, and further down in the rotation for Jeff Green and Jae’Sean Tate.”</p><h2><b>Mounting injuries for the Rockets</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Rockets-guard-Fred-VanVleet-2.jpg"><figcaption>Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Finney-Smith news comes just a week after the Rockets learned that point guard Fred VanVleet would be out indefinitely with a torn ACL injury. Overall, the Rockets have a good bit of depth on their roster, which should allow them to compensate for injuries better than most teams would be able to, but in order to truly compete in the Western Conference, they’ll likely need to be close to 100%.</p><p>With VanVleet out, the Rockets figure to lean more heavily than anticipated on rising second year guard Reed Sheppard, who didn’t play a lot in his rookie season in Ime Udoka’s defense-first system.</p><p>In any case, the Rockets will hit the floor to take on the Thunder on October 21 after Oklahoma City receives its rings for the 2025 championship.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets’ Dorian Finney-Smith likely to miss start of season with ankle injury

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-rumors-bill-simmons-hints-rob-pelinka-negged-dorian-finney-smith');   ga('set', 'title', 'Lakers rumors: Bill Simmons seems to confirm Rob Pelinka ‘negged’ Dorian Finney-Smith');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Lakers-forward-Dorian-Finney-Smith-signs-with-Rockets-amid-NBA-Free-Agency.jpg"><figcaption>Matt Blewett-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Lakers rumors: Bill Simmons seems to confirm Rob Pelinka ‘negged’ Dorian Finney-Smith</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-02T17:34:44-07:00">July 2nd, 5:34pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-02T18:36:43-07:00">July 2nd, 6:36pm</time><address><a>Jake Faigus</a>Jake Faigus graduated from the University of Arizona in 2022 and has written for several publications and websites. He has had stops at Catena Media, Playmaker, DraftKings, USA Today, Spike Up, and Spotlight Sports Group. He also writes for Sporting News and works at iHeartMedia in Phoenix when he is not writing for ClutchPoints.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Lakers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Los Angeles Lakers are never ones to shy away from the spotlight. They are always in the headlines, and the NBA offseason has been no different. The team was sold for a record amount of money, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-fans-thinking-lebron-james-trade-rich-paul-comments">there has been massive trade speculation surrounding LeBron James</a>. Now, there are reports that Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka was torpedoing value on his own.</p><p>Bill Simmons seemed to confirm on his podcast that Rob Pelinka <a href="https://x.com/AnthonyIrwinLA/status/1940519119746748696">was negging the trade value</a> around Dorian Finney-Smith. However, ClutchPoints Lakers Insider Anthony Irwin also reported the same thing days ago. Pelinka <a href="https://x.com/najeeadams_/status/1939738349767455080">reportedly made it seem like his injury was way worse than it was</a>, and word got back to Finney-Smith.</p><p>“On top of lowballing Dorian Finney-Smith, the word out there is that Rob Pelinka was going out there and talking to teams about Dorian’s [ankle] to try to tank Dorian’s free agency value and the offers that could potentially come in,” Irwin said on his podcast “The Lakers Lounge” on Monday, June 30, at the start of the NBA Free Agency. “Word is that it got back to Dorian and his camp.”</p><p>The ramifications of this allegation could be massive, considering that Finney-Smith was close with Luka Doncic from his time with the Mavericks.</p><p>Finney-Smith was not terrible with the Lakers, but he did nothing impressive in his time in Los Angeles. Last season, he averaged 8.7 points on 44.8% from the field.</p><p>It remains to be seen if this will affect Doncic, but it’s not a good look with a massive extension for Doncic coming up sooner rather than later.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-dorian-finney-smith-shades-lakers-53-million-free-agency-contract">Houston Rockets signed Finney-Smith</a> to a four-year $53 million deal, while the Lakers only offered him a two-year contract, in a big slap in the face to him.</p><p>The replacement for Finney-Smith as a 3-and-D player off the win was Jake LaRavia from the Sacramento Kings. He signed a two-year, $12 million contract. He was a cheaper and younger option than Finney-Smith for the Lakers. He also averaged 6.9 points with a 47.5% field goal percentage last season.</p><p>The plan around the Lakers has been questionable so far this offseason. However, they are still making moves, recently signing Deandre Ayton at the center position, where they need a massive boost down low.</p><p>Los Angeles is once again the center of attention in the NBA offseason. If these rumors about Rob Pelinka sinking the value of Finney-Smith are true, then that attention will not go away anytime soon, especially during NBA free agency.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Lakers rumors: Bill Simmons seems to confirm Rob Pelinka ‘negged’ Dorian Finney-Smith

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-rumors-la-offered-dorian-finney-smith-rockets');   ga('set', 'title', 'Lakers rumors: What LA offered Dorian Finney-Smith before Rockets deal');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Lakers-forward-Dorian-Finney-Smith-signs-with-Rockets-amid-NBA-Free-Agency.jpg"><figcaption>Matt Blewett-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Lakers rumors: What LA offered Dorian Finney-Smith before Rockets deal</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-01T08:06:37-07:00">July 1st, 8:06am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-01T08:47:07-07:00">July 1st, 8:47am</time><address><a>Yasmin Edañol</a>Yasmin D.G. Edañol is a PhD candidate in Chemistry at the University of the Philippines Diliman, with a background in scientific research and publishing. He brings a data-driven perspective to sports storytelling as an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints, with a focus on the NBA. Whether it's breaking down a clutch play or a stat line, he believes every great moment has a deeper layer waiting to be uncovered.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Lakers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Los Angeles Lakers have made their intentions clear this NBA Free Agency period: flexibility over long-term commitments. One of the biggest ripple effects of that Lakers mindset is the decision to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-dorian-finney-smith-shades-lakers-53-million-free-agency-contract">let Dorian Finney-Smith walk to the Houston Rockets</a>, despite having both the cap space and positional need to retain him.</p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6464748/2025/07/01/lakers-free-agency-nba-doncic-ayton/" rel="noopener">According to team sources</a>, the Lakers offered Dorian Finney-Smith a two-year deal in contrast to the four-year, $53 million contract he ultimately signed with the Rockets. The front office reportedly <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-rumors-the-14-1-million-silver-lining-to-potential-dorian-finney-smith-loss">prioritized maintaining future financial flexibility</a>, aiming to preserve cap space in anticipation of pairing a superstar with Luka Dončić, should the opportunity present itself in coming seasons. While the Rockets secured a long-term defensive asset, the Lakers held firm on their long game.</p><p>Losing Finney-Smith does come with its own challenges. His 3-and-D skill set was a perfect fit alongside stars like Dončić and LeBron James, and his veteran presence would have brought stability to the Lakers’ wing rotation. Instead, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-jake-laravia-pumps-up-la-fans-after-free-agency-contract">LA chose to pivot quickly by signing Jake LaRavia</a> to a two-year, $12 million deal using part of their mid-level exception. It’s a cost-effective move, but one that doesn’t fully replace Finney-Smith’s defensive versatility or playoff experience.</p><p>This decision also reflects a broader theme in LA’s NBA Free Agency strategy. Instead of overspending on role players, the Lakers seem willing to take short-term risks. The goal is to stay flexible for a bigger prize down the line. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/nba-rumors-lakers-expected-to-show-interest-in-ex-warriors-guard">Names like De’Anthony Melton have emerged</a> as possible lower-cost options to help the perimeter defense. Still, the message stays consistent: the Lakers are focused on the long game.</p><p>For fans wanting a win-now splash, the Lakers passing on Dorian Finney-Smith may seem like a missed chance. His fit was clear, and the need was real. But for a front office eyeing future stars, this restraint could be the cost of a bigger plan.</p><p>The Lakers are betting on what’s ahead. If their vision hits, the next great duo in purple and gold may not be far off.</p><p>Will patience today lead to titles tomorrow?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Lakers rumors: What LA offered Dorian Finney-Smith before Rockets deal

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/houston-rockets/grading-dorian-finney-smith-rockets-contract-2025-nba-free-agency');   ga('set', 'title', 'Grading Dorian Finney-Smith’s $53 million Rockets contract in 2025 NBA free agency');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Grading-Dorian-Finney-Smiths-53-million-Rockets-contract-in-2025-NBA-free-agency.jpg"></figure><h1>Grading Dorian Finney-Smith’s $53 million Rockets contract in 2025 NBA free agency</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-30T20:27:44-07:00">June 30th, 8:27pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-30T20:27:44-07:00">June 30th, 8:27pm</time><address><a href="http://hoopnut.blogspot.com/">Enzo Flojo</a>Enzo Flojo is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints and a columnist for Asian basketball at FIBA. He brings a dynamic spirit and background, having expertise that spans writing, analytics, coaching, and broadcasting. He is also currently an Assistant Coach on Scouting &amp; Analytics for the Philippine national youth basketball team.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Rockets aren’t just signaling that they’re all-in. They’re acting like it. Mere days after pulling off the most shocking trade of the summer by acquiring Kevin Durant from Phoenix, the Rockets are staying on the offensive. Their latest move? Signing veteran forward Dorian Finney-Smith to a four-year, $53 million deal in 2025 NBA free agency. For a franchise just two years removed from the lottery wilderness, this isn’t just a depth signing. It’s a signal to the rest of the West that Houston has no intention of slowing down.</p><p>Finney-Smith, of course, is one of the premier 3-and-D wings available this summer. He now joins a suddenly loaded Rockets roster that boasts both elite talent and enviable versatility. Houston’s rise has been fast, aggressive, and largely unexpected. Adding a player of Finney-Smith’s caliber only bolsters what is shaping up to be the deepest and most complete rotation in the conference. And given the price tag and fit, this deal deserves serious praise.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Dorian-Finney-Smith-shades-Lakers-with-X-million-Rockets-free-agency-contract.jpg"></figure><h2><b>A Season That Rewrote Expectations</b></h2><p>No one expected <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/team/schedule/_/name/hou">the Rockets to finish 52–30</a> and grab the West’s No. 2 seed. The previous year’s 41-win progress hinted at growth. However, this leap was driven by elite defense, breakneck transition play, and gritty depth. The Rockets then surpassed all projections.</p><p>Cam Whitmore and rookie Reed Sheppard didn’t break out, but almost everything else clicked. Houston’s rise made them the envy of nearly every team.</p><p>Still, doubts lingered heading into their first playoff run. The Rockets struggled in the half court. They ranked bottom 10 in efficiency, and it showed in their first-round exit. Once transition lanes closed, shot creation and spacing dried up. Perhaps leaning harder on the Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams duo to dominate the glass might’ve been the better bet.</p><p>Still, you could make the argument Houston has already won the offseason. In a period of two weeks, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/rockets-news-kevin-durant-breaks-silence-trade-teasing-fans">the Rockets traded for Durant</a> and agreed to new contracts for Adams, Fred VanVleet, Aaron Holiday, Jae’Sean Tate, Jabari Smith Jr, and Jeff Green. They also signed coach Ime Udoka to an extension. The Durant trade, not to mention adding Clint Capela, was significant not just because the team acquired a top-10 player. It was also because the team’s depth <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/rockets-news-houston-re-signs-2-veteran-reserves-after-kevin-durant-trade">was kept largely intact</a>.</p><p>And now, in free agency, they’ve struck again.</p><p>Here we will hand out our grade for Dorian Finney-Smith’s $53 million Rockets contract in 2025 NBA free agency.</p><h2><b>Finney-Smith’s Fit: Seamless on Both Ends</b></h2><p>Free agent forward Dorian Finney-Smith has agreed to a four-year, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/rockets-news-dorian-finney-smith-shades-lakers-53-million-free-agency-contract">$53 million deal with the Rockets</a>, 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.</p><p>This is a move that makes immediate sense and fits a clear need. Finney-Smith averaged 8.7 points and 2.0 threes last season while shooting 41.1 percent from deep for the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers. More importantly, his teams were +8.6 points per 100 possessions when he was on the floor. They were -4.8 when he was off. That’s not noise. It’s real impact.</p><p>Having him flank primary actions run by Durant, VanVleet or Sengun will make the offense more dangerous. He should help space the floor and punishing help defenders who shade toward stars. That’s not even where he brings the most value.</p><p>Defensively, Finney-Smith is a coach’s dream. He can guard up or down, hound wings, fight through screens, and help on the boards. His ability to switch and recover is tailor-made for Ime Udoka’s defensive schemes. On a team that already boasts strong a perimeter stopper in Tate, adding another elite wing defender feels unfair.</p><h2><b>Team-Friendly and Future-Proof</b></h2><p>The contract itself is more than reasonable. At just over $13 million per year, Houston is paying mid-level money for a player who regularly plays starter minutes on winning teams and contributes on both ends. In today’s cap environment, that’s a win.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Dorian-Finney-Smith-2.jpg"><figcaption>Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Finney-Smith is 31, which means he’ll be 35 when the deal ends. However, his game doesn’t rely on elite athleticism. His value stems from positional defense, court awareness, and reliable spot-up shooting. These skills that tend to age well. Even if his minutes eventually decline, this contract isn’t the kind that will become an albatross. In fact, with the cap set to rise again, it may look like a bargain by year two.</p><h2><b>Final Grade: A</b></h2><p>This is a no-brainer for Houston. They needed a reliable shooter, a versatile defender, and a playoff-tested veteran who knows his role and plays it well. They got all of that in Dorian Finney-Smith, and they didn’t break the bank to do it.</p><p>For a Rockets team on the verge of genuine contention, this is the kind of surgical, smart signing that separates paper tigers from real threats. They’re deeper, better defensively, and more versatile offensively than they were 48 hours ago.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Grading Dorian Finney-Smith’s $53 million Rockets contract in 2025 NBA free agency

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-la-lands-forward-deal-losing-dorian-finney-smith');   ga('set', 'title', 'Lakers land forward on $12 million deal after losing Dorian Finney-Smith');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/LA-lands-forward-on-12-million-deal-after-losing-Dorian-Finney-Smith.jpg"><figcaption>Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Lakers land forward on $12 million deal after losing Dorian Finney-Smith</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-30T16:14:33-07:00">June 30th, 4:14pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-30T17:17:57-07:00">June 30th, 5:17pm</time><address><a>Richard Pereira</a>Richard Pereira joined ClutchPoints in January 2025 as an Associate Editor. He earned his degree from Florida Atlantic University in 2023 and has been covering the school's athletic programs since 2020, having served as a Sports Editor at the FAU University Press. He was granted the unique opportunity to report on the men's basketball team's journey to the Final Four in Houston for FAU Owls Nest during March Madness, consistently striving to grow as a sports journalist.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Lakers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Despite losing wing <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/rockets-news-dorian-finney-smith-shades-lakers-53-million-free-agency-contract">Dorian Finney-Smith to the Houston Rockets</a> in free agency, the Los Angeles Lakers have made their first addition of the 2025 NBA offseason with Jake LaRavia.</p><p>LaRavia will <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1939818967461171311" rel="noopener">sign a two-year, $12 million deal</a> with the Lakers, ESPN’s NBA insider Shams Charania <a href="https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1939819184978108470" rel="noopener">reported</a> on Monday.</p><p>“Free agent forward Jake LaRavia has agreed to a two-year, $12 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, sources tell ESPN. LaRavia had a strong finish after joining the Sacramento Kings last season,” Charania said.</p><p>“Fully guaranteed deal for Jake LaRavia in Los Angeles — negotiated tonight by agents Aaron Reilly and Reggie Berry of AMR Agency.”</p><p>LaRavia played for the Memphis Grizzlies and Kings this past season. He averaged 6.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game after 66 appearances.</p><h2><b>What’s next for Lakers after landing Jake LaRavia</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/LA-lands-forward-on-12-million-deal-after-losing-Dorian-Finney-Smith-1.jpg"><figcaption>Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>It will be a busy offseason for the Lakers, even after landing Jake LaRavia. Not only do they need solid shooting from the perimeter, but they also need depth at the center position.</p><p>Los Angeles is coming off a 2024-25 campaign where they finished with 50 wins throughout the regular season, the most since the 2019-20 season. However, their championship aspirations with Luka Doncic and LeBron James ended early after losing in five games to the Minnesota Timberwolves.</p><p>Inconsistent 3-point shooting and lack of size exposed the Lakers throughout the series. This summer will be crucial for the team to address those needs to elevate their talent and improve their chances at a title next season.</p><p>Which is what makes LaRavia an intriguing pickup. He shoots 37.1% from downtown after three years in the league so far, even though he only takes 2.7 attempts per game. The 2023-24 season showed him taking more shots from deep, making 1.5 triples at a 34% clip.</p><p>Los Angeles will continue to progress through the start of free agency. However, they must be swift in their signings as their needs must be the top priority to improve the overall quality of the roster.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Lakers land forward on $12 million deal after losing Dorian Finney-Smith

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-dorian-finney-smith-shades-lakers-53-million-free-agency-contract');   ga('set', 'title', 'Dorian Finney-Smith shades Lakers with $53 million Rockets free agency contract');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Dorian-Finney-Smith-shades-Lakers-with-X-million-Rockets-free-agency-contract.jpg"></figure><h1>Dorian Finney-Smith shades Lakers with $53 million Rockets free agency contract</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-30T15:32:20-07:00">June 30th, 3:32pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-30T15:55:34-07:00">June 30th, 3:55pm</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Veteran free agent forward Dorian Finney-Smith and the Houston Rockets <a href="https://x.com/BrettSiegelNBA/status/1939813849080971480" rel="noopener">have agreed</a> to a four-year, $53 million contract, league sources told ClutchPoints on Monday night. Finney-Smith is leaving the Los Angeles Lakers after spending a portion of the 2024-25 season with the team and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-rumors-contenders-lurking-dorian-finney-smith-declines-option">recently declining his $15.4 million player option</a>.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-dangelo-russell-trade-nets-4-player-trade">Lakers traded D’Angelo Russell</a>, Maxwell Lewis, and three second-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets for Finney-Smith and Shake Milton in December. Now, the two-way wing departs Los Angeles for a Western Conference rival in a better position to contend for a championship.</p><p>Losing Finney-Smith is a significant blow to the Lakers, especially considering that he is close friends with Luka Doncic. Los Angeles will have a hard time replacing his production on the wing in a limited free-agent market this offseason.</p><p>The final year of Finney-Smith’s new contract with Houston will contain a player option.</p><p>Finney-Smith, 32, has been known to be one of the better 3-and-D players on the wing in the NBA through the years. Multiple teams had expressed interest in him before he was traded to the Lakers this past season, and he again had playoff-contending teams interested in his services this free agency period.</p><p>However, after the Rockets <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-kevin-durant-trade-suns-jalen-green">traded for two-time Finals MVP and 15-time All-Star Kevin Durant</a>, Houston became a prime destination for Finney-Smith. Houston has also been very active this offseason before and after trading for Durant.</p><p>Steven Adams elected to return on a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-steven-adams-agrees-39-million-contract-extension">new three-year, $39 million contract</a> instead of becoming a free agent, and former NBA champion point guard Fred VanVleet restructured his deal by having his $44.9 million team option declined. Instead, VanVleet will agree to a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-rumors-fred-vanvleet-sign-50-million-contract-extension">two-year, $50 million contract</a>, which created breathing room for the team to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-jabari-smith-jr-secures-contract-extension">give Jabari Smith Jr. a $122 million extension</a>.</p><p>VanVleet taking less money also allowed GM Rafael Stone and the Rockets to be aggressive on the free agent market with players like Finney-Smith and Nickeil Alexander-Walker available.</p><p>Finney-Smith now becomes a key part of a revamped Rockets roster and will replace Dillon Brooks on the wing, who was included with Jalen Green in the trade with the Phoenix Suns for Durant. He averaged 8.7 points and 3.9 rebounds per game while shooting 41.1 percent from 3-point range in 63 combined games with the Nets and Lakers.</p><p>The Rockets finished the 2024-25 regular season with a 52-30 record, their best since the 2018-19 season when James Harden led the team to the Western Conference Semifinals. Despite their success this season as one of the younger teams in the league, Houston lost in the first round of the playoffs in a seven-game series against the Golden State Warriors.</p><p>With Durant available on the trade market and the Rockets recognizing their chance to capitalize on their championship potential, Stone and his front office pulled the trigger on the deal to acquire one of the best pure scorers in the NBA.</p><p>As a result, the Rockets have continued to add to their roster with the addition of Finney-Smith in free agency with the hopes of dethroning the reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dorian Finney-Smith shades Lakers with $53 million Rockets free agency contract

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-rumors-the-14-1-million-silver-lining-to-potential-dorian-finney-smith-loss');   ga('set', 'title', 'Lakers rumors: The $14.1 million silver lining to potential Dorian Finney-Smith loss');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Lakers-forward-Dorian-Finney-Smith-17-before-the-game.jpg"><figcaption>© Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Lakers rumors: The $14.1 million silver lining to potential Dorian Finney-Smith loss</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-30T15:22:12-07:00">June 30th, 3:22pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-30T15:22:12-07:00">June 30th, 3:22pm</time><address><a>Zachary Weinberger</a>Zachary Weinberger joined ClutchPoints in October 2023 as a Miami Heat reporter as well as an Associate Editor. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022 after covering the school's athletic programs since his freshman year at the FAU University Press, where he was a Sports Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He then covered FAU Sports for The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Lakers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-rumors-rockets-hawks-fighting-make-multiple-wing-splashes">rumors surrounding Los Angeles Lakers forward Dorian Finney-Smith</a>, there has been speculation regarding what the future looks like for the 32-year-old. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-rumors-contenders-lurking-dorian-finney-smith-declines-option">Lakers’ power forward in Finney-Smith declined his player option</a> worth $15.4 million, meaning he will hit the open market, though that may not be the worst outcome for the team.</p><p>While Finney-Smith is effective as a two-way player, especially on the defensive side of the ball, and a close friend to Luka Doncic, the freeing up of his contract gives them some financial flexibility. According to Jake Fischer and Marc Stein, Finney-Smith’s departure has given Los Angeles <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/the-absolute-latest-nba-free-agency?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=167190832&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">“the full $14,1 million midlevel exception,”</a> which, with the team needing a center, could be used to their advantage.</p><p>“Losing Finney-Smith would obviously be a tough blow — not only because of his two-way ability but his status as one of Luka Dončić’s favorite teammates — but it would potentially benefit the Lakers’ bookkeeping,” Fischer and Stein wrote on “The Stein Line” on Monday. “Finney-Smith’s exit would unlock the full $14.1 million midlevel exception for the Lakers, who badly need to come away with a front-line center from the business they conduct this week.”</p><h2><b>Lakers “remain hopeful” on retaining Dorian Finney-Smith</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Dorian-Finney-Smith.jpg"><figcaption>Matt Blewett-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>In terms of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-rumors-rockets-biggest-threat-steal-away-key-lakers-free-agent">players that will go after the Lakers’ free agent</a>, it has been speculated that the Houston Rockets are one of the front-runners to do so. After the team made a blockbuster deal for superstar Kevin Durant, the organization could also go after Finney-Smith, but Fischer and Marc Stein still say that Los Angeles<a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/the-latest-freshest-and-hottest-nba?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=167147450&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener"> “remain hopeful”</a> on getting back the Florida product.</p><p>“The Rockets have use of their full $14.1 million midlevel exception to offer to Finney-Smith even after their considerable roster business in recent days,” Marc Stein and Jake Fischer wrote for The Stein Line. “There were strong suggestions Sunday that Houston is preparing a four-year offer for Finney-Smith … but perhaps at a figure shy of the full MLE amount.”</p><p>“The Lakers, meanwhile, remain hopeful of retaining Finney-Smith. The 32-year-old’s decision to bypass his $15.4 million player option for next season — when that move wasn’t accompanied by the announcement that he had agreed to terms with the Lakers on a new multiyear contract to replace it — surprised numerous observers leaguewide.”</p><p>At any rate, Los Angeles looks to further improve with free agency having started on Monday evening.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Lakers rumors: The $14.1 million silver lining to potential Dorian Finney-Smith loss

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-houston-emerges-as-serious-dorian-finney-smith-suitor');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets emerge as serious Dorian Finney-Smith suitor');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Dorian-Finney-Smith-guarding-Anthony-Edwards-1.jpg"><figcaption>Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Rockets emerge as serious Dorian Finney-Smith suitor</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-29T15:24:31-07:00">June 29th, 3:24pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-29T15:24:31-07:00">June 29th, 3:24pm</time><address><a>Lorenzo J Reyna</a>Lorenzo J Reyna is an Associate Editor covering the NFL and NCAA Football for ClutchPoints. He's equipped with past experience for both realms through his recent stops at Pro Football Network and Heavy while also writing for 247Sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Rockets have risen as an early aggressor when it comes to NBA free agency moves. They already removed themselves from the Jalen Green era — <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-kevin-durant-trade-suns-jalen-green">by adding Kevin Durant in the bombshell June 22 trade</a>. Now Dorian Finney-Smith could be next to arrive.</p><p>The versatile Los Angeles Lakers forward <a href="https://x.com/JakeLFischer/status/1939440254651351282" rel="noopener">is immediately linked</a> to Houston, per NBA reporter Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.</p><p>“The Houston Rockets have emerged as a viable free agent landing spot for Dorian Finney-Smith, league sources tell The Stein Line and me, after the veteran declined his $15.4 million player option for 2025-26 with the Lakers today,” Fischer posted on X (formerly Twitter).</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-rumors-contenders-lurking-dorian-finney-smith-declines-option">Contenders are lining up already for Finney-Smith</a>. But now Houston crashes the mix. And earns a new chance to further enhance their roster post Durant-Green trade.</p><h2><b>How effective Dorian Finney-Smith can be for Rockets </b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Rockets-bench.jpg"><figcaption>Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Lakers can now focus on adding a big man presence following the Luka Doncic trade this offseason. They also earn financial flexibility thanks to Finney-Smith’s decision.</p><p>He brings a veteran wing presence to the floor. He guards the elite shooters on the perimeter too. He’s created 0.9 steals per game the last two seasons. Finney-Smith adds shooting touch too — hitting 44.2% of his field goals including nearly getting 40% of his threes into the hoop.</p><p>He’d add conference finals experience into any room he walks into, including the Rockets. Finney-Smith played alongside Doncic on the Dallas Mavericks team that played in the WCF in the 2022 season.</p><p>Houston doesn’t appear to be through with only adding Durant. Especially in the name of surrounding rising star Alperen Sengun with veteran talent. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/1-sneaky-good-player-rockets-must-sign-2025-nba-free-agency-kevin-durant-trade">Chris Boucher is one more intriguing free agent for Houston</a>. The 6-foot-9, 200-pounder gives Durant, Sengun and the Rockets a long depth option to help keep both fresh. Finney-Smith further boosts the depth and defensive options if brought over.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets emerge as serious Dorian Finney-Smith suitor

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-rumors-contenders-lurking-dorian-finney-smith-declines-option');   ga('set', 'title', 'Lakers rumors: Contenders lurking after Dorian Finney-Smith declines $15.4 million option');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Dorian-Finney-Smith.jpg"><figcaption>Matt Blewett-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Lakers rumors: Contenders lurking after Dorian Finney-Smith declines $15.4 million option</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-29T11:31:23-07:00">June 29th, 11:31am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-29T11:32:58-07:00">June 29th, 11:32am</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is a Senior Editor and College Sports Lead at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Lakers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Los Angeles Lakers’ biggest goal this offseason has to be addressing their lack of depth and getting a big man or two in the room after gutting their roster to acquire Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks last offseason. While <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/the-player-lakers-must-avoid-in-nba-free-agency">Los Angeles waits to see what big men it can make a run after</a>, it was also waiting on the decision from Dorian Finney-Smith.</p><p>Finney-Smith had a player option worth $15.4 million this offseason, and he is choosing to hit the open market instead. The former Maverick has officially declined his player option and <a href="https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1939354198560387073" rel="noopener">will be a free agent</a> when it opens on Monday, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.</p><p>Charania also stated that there will be <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-rumors-curiosity-key-player-million-decision">contending teams that are after Finney-Smith</a> in free agency.</p><p>“Los Angeles Lakers forward Dorian Finney-Smith is declining his $15.4 million player option for the 2025-26 season and will enter free agency, sources tell ESPN,” Charania reported on X, formerly Twitter. “Multiple contending teams are expected to pursue Finney-Smith beginning Monday night and a Lakers return is possible.”</p><p>While the Lakers are still in play for Finney-Smith, it appears that it’s going to take a substantial raise in order to keep him in Los Angeles. The Florida product has an ideal skillset on the wing for a contender, with the ability to guard elite perimeter scorers and also knock down open shots from the 3-point line.</p><p>He did just that for the Lakers last season, making nearly 40% of his triples after arriving in Los Angeles following a trade from the Brooklyn Nets. He was also a big piece of the defense for JJ Redick and company and was one of the few players that the first-year head coach trusted in the playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves.</p><p>Finney-Smith played with Doncic during their time in Dallas and they even went to the Western Conference Finals together in 2022, so those two already have good chemistry together. As a result, the Lakers may decide that it’s worth paying a premium to keep the 32-year old around for the long haul as they pivot to building for the future around their new superstar.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Lakers rumors: Contenders lurking after Dorian Finney-Smith declines $15.4 million option

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-luka-doncic-impact-dorian-finney-smith');   ga('set', 'title', 'Luka Doncic’s ‘pick your poison’ impact summed up perfectly by Dorian Finney-Smith');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/IMG_1377.jpeg"></figure><h1>Luka Doncic’s ‘pick your poison’ impact summed up perfectly by Dorian Finney-Smith</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-16T20:53:41-07:00">March 16th, 8:53pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-16T20:53:41-07:00">March 16th, 8:53pm</time><address><a>David Yapkowitz</a>David Yapkowitz is an NBA Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a credentialed reporter based in Los Angeles who covers the NBA/WNBA, NCAA/NCAAW and boys/girls high school basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Lakers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>LOS ANGELES – Since the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/lakers-news-luka-doncic-trade-honor-sloan-analytics-conference">Los Angeles Lakers traded for Luka Doncic</a>, several of the team’s role players have taken advantage of the type of defensive attention the All-NBA star draws on a game-to-game basis. Out of all the Lakers’ role players, there is nobody on the team who knows Doncic as well as Dorian Finney-Smith.</p><p>Dorian Finney-Smith and Luka Doncic played together for about four and half seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, before being reunited this year with the Lakers. Finney-Smith knows the type of havoc Doncic creates for opposing defenses.</p><p>Following the Lakers’ 107-96 win against the Phoenix Suns, a win that snapped a four-game losing streak, Finney-Smith spoke about how the role players benefit from Doncic attacking opposing teams’ defenses.</p><p>“When you’re playing with a guy like Luka who draws so much attention, one day I might get the threes, one day it might be Gabe [Vincent] who gets the wide-open threes,” Finney-Smith said. “Today they didn’t really help much on the corner threes, so Jax [Jaxson Hayes] got a million lobs and drop-off passes. So you got to pick your poison when you’re playing with Luka.”</p><p>Jaxson Hayes <a href="https://x.com/mcten/status/1901441716080824587" rel="noopener">certainly benefitted from</a> Doncic’s creation, as per Dave McMenamin of ESPN, finishing with 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field. And as Finney-Smith said, it was Gabe Vincent’s turn to knock down open three-point shots. Vincent went 3-0f-5 from distance <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-luka-doncic-upgraded-injury-report-suns">in his return after missing the Lakers’ loss</a> to the Denver Nuggets on Friday.</p><h2><b>Lakers’ role players rising to the occasion</b></h2><p>Earlier in the 2024-25 season, the Lakers’ depth was considered a point of weakness. It’s now turned into a position of strength. For the past couple of months, even before the Doncic trade, seemingly each player JJ Redick had put in to the game has made an impact in some way.</p><p>And that impact goes far beyond the box score. That impact includes defense, it includes hustle and energy, it includes setting screens and simply doing whatever needs to be done to get wins. Following the Lakers’ win against the Suns, Redick singled out Finney-Smith and Jordan Goodwin for helping set the tone for the game despite their stats not jumping off the stat sheet.</p><p>“Never judge a player based solely on his box score,” Redick said. “Jordan Goodwin was incredible tonight, and two points, four fouls. He set the tone for us. They’re [Phoenix] an incredibly difficult team to guard. . .him and Doe [Dorian Finney-Smith] set the tone on Book and KD. Those guys made tough shots, and we had to try something and make it hard for them, and those two guys set the tone.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Luka Doncic’s ‘pick your poison’ impact summed up perfectly by Dorian Finney-Smith

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/lakers-news-dorian-finney-smith-luka-doncic-defense-weight-criticism');   ga('set', 'title', 'Dorian Finney-Smith comes to Luka Doncic’s defense amid weight criticism');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/IMG_1250.jpeg"></figure><h1>Dorian Finney-Smith comes to Luka Doncic’s defense amid weight criticism</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-05T19:28:26-08:00">February 5th, 7:28pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-05T19:28:26-08:00">February 5th, 7:28pm</time><address><a>David Yapkowitz</a>David Yapkowitz is an NBA Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a credentialed reporter based in Los Angeles who covers the NBA/WNBA, NCAA/NCAAW and boys/girls high school basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Lakers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>In the aftermath of the Los Angeles Lakers’ trade for superstar Luka Doncic, one of the headlines coming out of Dallas is that the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-why-mavericks-were-over-luka-doncic">Mavericks reportedly were not thrilled with Doncic’s conditioning</a>. Following the trade, both <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-markieff-morris-maxi-kleber-defend-luka-doncic-amid-reports-of-conditioning-issues">Markieff Morris and Maxi Kleber, traded to the Lakers along with Doncic, came to his defense</a>. Dorian Finney-Smith, who was a teammate of Doncic back in Dallas, was the latest to <a href="https://x.com/LoJoMedia/status/1887251856981659697" rel="noopener">push back against</a> the conditioning narrative, as per Lauren Jones of LoJo Media.</p><p>“I know him, he wants to play the whole game. I think he played 40 minutes every game last playoffs,” Finney-Smith said following the Lakers’ practice on Wednesday. “He’s a hooper, he wants to play. I don’t really look at the noise, I look at his production and he produces. S**t, if I’m putting up them type of numbers, maybe I need to be 270.”</p><p>Dorian Finney-Smith and Luka Doncic were teammates for about four and a half seasons with the Mavericks. Finney-Smith actually predated Doncic in Dallas, arriving in the 2016-17 season while Doncic arrived in 2018-19 season. The duo are now reunited with the Lakers.</p><h2><b>Luka Doncic on the Lakers</b></h2><p>While Doncic has yet to make his Lakers’ debut, he did arrive in Los Angeles and was on the bench with the team during their 122-97 win against the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-shams-charania-luka-doncic-hint-amid-stars-uncertain-status">Lakers and Doncic are targeting Saturday, Feb. 8 for his debut</a>, against the Indiana Pacers.</p><p>One of the big questions surrounding the Lakers’ acquisition of Doncic is how well he and LeBron James will mesh together on the court. For Finney-Smith, he <a href="https://x.com/LoJoMedia/status/1887254163652026793" rel="noopener">doesn’t foresee any potential issues</a> between the Lakers’ new star duo</p><p>“He builds his own relationship with everybody in the locker room. I would say he’s been like that since I’ve seen him in his rookie year. You could tell he had a pro approach early,” Finney-Smith said. “Everybody keeps talking about how him and LeBron may not work. If you know Luka’s personality, he gels well with anybody. He’s a competitor. He smiles a lot, but once he’s on the court he turns into a dog.”</p><p>Alongside James and Austin Reaves, Doncic gives the Lakers yet another capable ball-handler and playmaker. Since Reaves has moved into the full-time starting point guard role, he’s been impressive as a passer. And of course James is a triple double threat each game.</p><p>Prior to his calf injury, Doncic had played in 22 games for the Mavericks at a little over 35 minutes per game. He had been averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 7.8 assists and 2.0 steals with splits of 46.4 percent shooting from the field, 35.4 percent shooting from the three-point line and 76.7 percent shooting from the free-throw line.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dorian Finney-Smith comes to Luka Doncic’s defense amid weight criticism

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/lakers-news-dorian-finney-smith-la-defense-minutes-restriction-update');   ga('set', 'title', 'Dorian Finney-Smith vocal on Lakers defense amid minutes restriction update');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/IMG_1234.jpeg"></figure><h1>Dorian Finney-Smith vocal on Lakers defense amid minutes restriction update</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-26T19:23:32-08:00">January 26th, 7:23pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-26T19:23:32-08:00">January 26th, 7:23pm</time><address><a>David Yapkowitz</a>David Yapkowitz is an NBA Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a credentialed reporter based in Los Angeles who covers the NBA/WNBA, NCAA/NCAAW and boys/girls high school basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Lakers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>LOS ANGELES – When the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-lebron-james-breaks-silence-dorian-finney-smith-trade">Los Angeles Lakers traded for Dorian Finney-Smith</a> in a deal with the Brooklyn Nets, they acquired the type of wing defender they lacked since the departures of Alex Caruso, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Danny Green. With almost one month having passed since the trade, the Lakers early returns on Dorian Finney-Smith <a href="https://x.com/LakersReporter/status/1883377861069017155" rel="noopener">are very promising</a>, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-max-christie-dorian-finney-smith-pairing-bodes-well-la-defense">especially on defense</a>, amid a minutes restriction.</p><p>Lakers head coach JJ Redick recently mentioned that Dorian Finney-Smith was on a minutes restriction due to an ankle injury he had been dealing with since early in the regular season. But this month, Redick was allowed to increase Finney-Smith’s minutes.</p><p>The result was his best performance yet as a Laker during the team’s 111-88 win against the Washington Wizards on Jan. 21. He poured in 16 points while shooting 4-0f-6 from the three-point line. But even with the big offensive night, it was his defensive activity that really impacted the win. Following that game, Finney-Smith spoke about his approach on defense since joining the team.</p><p>“I’m just trying to make sure my voice is heard, my presence is felt. When I’m out there, just trying to be one of the loudest guys on the court,” Finney-Smith said. “I can hear it bouncing back to me with LeBron and AD, they get to talking too once I get to yelling a lot. It’s been fun. I enjoy being out there with those guys. We just got to. . .collect wins.”</p><h2><b>Dorian Finney-Smith’s impact for Lakers</b></h2><p>Since joining the Lakers, Finney-Smith’s presence has been felt, as he said. He recently got his first start since the trade during the Lakers’ 118-108 win against the Golden State Warriors, amid Rui Hachimura’s absence. He finished with eight points and three rebounds while shooting 2-0f-3 from the three-point line.</p><p>He played 26 minutes, the most he’s played since joining the Lakers. With an increase in minutes, Redick believes that Finney-Smith will be a major beneficiary from playing alongside the rest of the group.</p><p>“Doe is a guy who, since day one in the NBA, has embraced his role, so the role is constant with him. And that’s being a hard-nose, switchable defender, being active with his hand defensively, being a talker, being a screener, cutter, spot-up shooter,” Redick said. “He’s never going to step outside that role. . .we obviously hope that if he’s out there with more minutes, and we’re playing good, connected offense, that he will be the beneficiary of that by his ability to space, his ability to attack closeouts and his ability to cut.”</p><p>An increase in playing time after a minutes restriction is going to take some getting used to, and against the Wizards, Finney-Smith joked about getting very winded early in the game.</p><p>“It’s been a crazy two to three weeks. . .under a minutes restriction, it’s tough sometimes definitely trying to find your groove with a team,” Finney-Smith said. “I probably played for the longest stretch in that first half. It felt like my lungs were going to collapse, but it’s been fun playing with these guys, just trying to collect some wins.”</p><p>Since joining the Lakers, Finney-Smith has been averaging 6.5 points and 2.9 rebounds with splits of 46.9 percent shooting from the field, 41.7 percent shooting from the three-point line and 80 percent shooting from the free-throw line.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dorian Finney-Smith vocal on Lakers defense amid minutes restriction update

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/lakers-dorian-finney-smith-doubtful-first-meeting-with-nets-since-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'Lakers’ Dorian Finney-Smith doubtful for first meeting with Nets since trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Lakers-news-Dorian-Finney-Smiths-status-in-doubt-for-first-meeting-with-Nets-since-trade-1.jpg"></figure><h1>Lakers’ Dorian Finney-Smith doubtful for first meeting with Nets since trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-17T08:52:09-08:00">January 17th, 8:52am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-17T08:59:14-08:00">January 17th, 8:59am</time><address><a>Erik Slater</a>Erik Slater is the credentialed Brooklyn Nets beat reporter for ClutchPoints. He's a graduate of Lehigh University and the Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University, as well as a Lehigh Football and Syracuse Football alum.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Brooklyn Nets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Dorian Finney-Smith’s first meeting with the Brooklyn Nets since a Dec. 29 trade may have to wait until later this season. The Los Angeles Lakers forward is doubtful for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nets-vs-lakers-prediction-odds-pick-spread-1-17-2025">Friday’s Nets matchup</a> due to personal reasons.</p><p>Finney-Smith missed Wednesday’s 117-108 win over the Heat. It was later revealed that the 31-year-old became a father earlier this week, with his <a href="https://x.com/DanWoikeSports/status/1879578535150723291" rel="noopener">fiancée announcing the birth of their son</a> on Instagram.</p><h2>Dorian Finney-Smith’s status in doubt for Nets-Lakers matchup</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Dorian-Finney-Smith.jpg"><figcaption>Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Finney-Smith had one of the best starts of his career with the Nets before the trade. The veteran wing averaged 10.4 points while shooting a career-high 43.5 percent from three on 5.4 attempts per game over 20 appearances. He played a crucial role in Brooklyn’s surprise 9-11 start, posting a +15.9 net rating at the time of the trade, the highest on the team and fifth-highest among all NBA players to play over 200 minutes.</p><p>However, after trading Mikal Bridges this summer, the Nets are prioritizing their draft position in year one of a rebuild. With Finney-Smith no longer fitting their timeline, they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nets-trade-grade-dangelo-russell-dorian-finney-smith-deal">traded him to the Lakers</a> for D’Angelo Russell’s expiring contract, Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks.</p><p>Finney-Smith has posted more modest numbers while adjusting to his new role with the Lakers. Over six appearances, he’s averaged 6.8 points and 3.2 rebounds while playing 23.7 minutes per game off the bench. The 31-year-old has continued his hot shooting, converting 9-of-22 three-point attempts (40.9 percent).</p><p>Los Angeles has posted a 3-4 record since the trade. While Finney-Smith’s hard-nosed defense played a significant role in his acquisition, JJ Redick’s squad has continued to trend in the wrong direction on that end following the deal.</p><p>The Lakers ranked 21st defensively over their first 31 games. They rank 29th over their last seven after acquiring Finney-Smith and Milton.</p><p>The Lakers enter Friday’s matchup as 11-point favorites following the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nets-news-jordi-fernandez-reacts-brooklyn-suffering-worst-loss-franchise-history">Nets’ historic 126-67 loss to the Clippers on Wednesday</a>. Brooklyn has lost seven of its last eight games. However, the rebuilding squad will welcome D’Angelo Russell and Ben Simmons back to the lineup against Los Angeles.</p><p>Cam Johnson is questionable for the matchup due to a right ankle sprain.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Lakers’ Dorian Finney-Smith doubtful for first meeting with Nets since trade

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/lakers-news-max-christie-dorian-finney-smith-pairing-bodes-well-la-defense');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Max Christie, Dorian Finney-Smith pairing bodes well for Lakers’ defense');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/IMG_1182.jpeg"></figure><h1>Why Max Christie, Dorian Finney-Smith pairing bodes well for Lakers’ defense</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-08T17:23:48-08:00">January 8th, 5:23pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-08T17:23:48-08:00">January 8th, 5:23pm</time><address><a>David Yapkowitz</a>David Yapkowitz is an NBA Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a credentialed reporter based in Los Angeles who covers the NBA/WNBA, NCAA/NCAAW and boys/girls high school basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Lakers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>LOS ANGELES – Since Max Christie was moved into the Los Angeles Lakers’ starting lineup, he’s drawn some of the toughest defensive assignments in the league. Last month, he found himself matched up against Ja Morant, Trae Young, Cade Cunningham and ultimately Stephen Curry. Albeit the tough matchups, he’s proven himself as one of the team’s most reliable defensive players. And now, with the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-dorian-finney-smith-takes-shot-at-little-brother-nets-after-trade">addition of Dorian Finney-Smith via trade with the Brooklyn Nets</a>, the Lakers have an intriguing wing pairing on the defensive end.</p><p>Guarding some of the best offensive players in the league has been how Finney-Smith has earned his money. The Lakers now have two players on the roster they can feel comfortable with chasing around the NBA’s premier scoring threats.</p><p>In Dorian Finney-Smith’s second game with the Lakers, on Jan. 2 against the Portland Trail Blazers, he was in with the starters late in the fourth quarter alongside Max Christie on the wing. The following night against the Atlanta Hawks, he was in with the starters once again forming a defensive pairing with Christie.</p><p>The Lakers managed to close out both of those games, and did so on the defensive end. Following the Lakers’ win against the Hawks, Finney-Smith spoke about just trying to match Christie’s energy, and how he’s been in the young guard’s ear since joining the team.</p><p>“Since I’ve been here, Max has been terrific on the defensive end bringing a lot of energy. So when I come in, I try to match his energy. I told him, I’ve been in his shoes before,” Finney-Smith said. “Especially sometimes, you play defense all day and you might not get a shot. A lot of people don’t keep that intensity when they ain’t getting the ball. I just try to preach it to him that I’ve been there before. That’s what’s made me valuable in this league.”</p><p>For a team looking to improve on the defensive end, Finney-Smith certainly gives the Lakers another look especially when paired up with Christie.</p><h2><b>Defensive wings key to Lakers’ success</b></h2><p>When the Lakers won the 2020 NBA title, they had a pair of tough defensive-minded wings in the starting lineup in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Danny Green. But since trading both players in the subsequent years, they’ve been unable to replicate that type of defensive intensity.</p><p>But if the closing lineup against the Blazers and Hawks is any indication, the Lakers might be inching closer to reaching that type of wing defense that’s eluded them since then.</p><p>Finney-Smith’s calling card since he’s been in the NBA has been defense, and Christie is developing into one of the better wing defenders in the league. In fact, after Christie dropped a career-high 28 points against the Blazers last week, Lakers’ head coach JJ Redick said he felt the catalyst for that big game started on defense.</p><p>“I didn’t think his first run was good in terms of his defensive disposition,” Redick said. “I thought his career night started with changing the disposition on defense.”</p><p>While it’s a small sample size in terms of how Max Christie and Dorian Finney-Smith will hold up defensively for the rest of the season, the initial results are encouraging for the Lakers.</p><p>“Doe is a great defender. He’s got a lot of size, he’s a big wing for sure. I think for us as a team, that addition definitely helps us,” Christie said. “I think that pairing at the end of the game was great. I thought we did a good job kind of holding them, holding their points, trying to make sure they weren’t scoring too much at the end of the last two minutes. I thought me and Doe did a good job of that. I thought we did a good job rebounding the ball at the end too.”</p><p> </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Max Christie, Dorian Finney-Smith pairing bodes well for Lakers’ defense

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/lakers-news-dorian-finney-smith-shares-eye-opening-take-on-being-a-lebron-james-teammate');   ga('set', 'title', 'Lakers’ Dorian Finney-Smith shares eye-opening take on being a LeBron James teammate');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Dorian-Finney-Smith-shares-eye-opening-take-on-being-a-LeBron-James-teammate.jpg"></figure><h1>Lakers’ Dorian Finney-Smith shares eye-opening take on being a LeBron James teammate</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-05T20:55:02-08:00">January 5th, 8:55pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-05T20:55:02-08:00">January 5th, 8:55pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Lakers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Los Angeles Lakers finally pulled the trigger on a D’Angelo Russell trade, sending him to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith before the calendar flipped to 2025. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nets-sean-marks-break-silence-lakers-trade-dangelo-russell-homecoming">Finney-Smith has long been coveted</a> around the league for being a solid 3-and-D wing who could fit in any lineup, and the Lakers will be relying on him to provide some toughness, floor-spacing, and rebounding even if he’s still in a bench role as of the moment.</p><p>Finney-Smith has had plenty of battles against LeBron James in the past, as he’s been tasked across every stop of his to contain the team’s best perimeter player. And on the Lakers, that title undisputedly belongs to James. But now that they’re teammates, Finney-Smith can breathe a little easier, as he can simply watch James in all of his greatness while being secure in the fact that they’re <a href="https://twitter.com/mcten/status/1876115328176152879" rel="noopener">now on the same side</a>.</p><p>“Having fun seeing LeBron shoot the ball off one leg and s**t. It’s fun to be here to see it and not have to guard it,” Finney-Smith said on Sunday night, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Dorian Finney-Smith on his early Lakers acclimation: “Seeing LeBron shoot the ball off one leg and s— … It’s fun to be here to see it and not have to guard it” <a href="https://t.co/rghzaNGEvj">pic.twitter.com/rghzaNGEvj</a></p><p>— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) <a href="https://twitter.com/mcten/status/1876115328176152879?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>But beyond the fun that is playing with James, Finney-Smith is expected to play a huge role for the Lakers in the looming stretch run. Even though LA lost on Sunday in heartbreaking fashion to the Houston Rockets, 119-115, the 31-year-old forward knocked down some huge shots, finishing with 13 points on the night.</p><p>Finney-Smith could be in line for a bigger role for the team moving forward depending on matchups. But the Lakers appear to be content in bringing him along a bit slowly.</p><h2><b>Dorian Finney-Smith, now with the Lakers, should be back to being at his best</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Lakers-forward-Dorian-Finney-Smith-17-subs-into-the-game-for-forward-LeBron-James-23.jpg"><figcaption>© Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>On a rebuilding team like the Brooklyn Nets, Dorian Finney-Smith’s skillset isn’t too valuable. Finney-Smith is the quintessential role player, a versatile and switchable defensive forward who has plenty of big-game experience that would make him <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-jj-redicks-honest-opinion-what-dorian-finney-smith-brings-la">quite the weapon for the Lakers.</a></p><p>Finney-Smith thrives when he can focus on doing the dirty work and hitting open shots on a team with contending aspirations. This was the role that he filled with the Dallas Mavericks, thriving alongside Luka Doncic especially during their run to the Conference Finals in 2022. Now with the Lakers, Finney-Smith can simply be his best self, as he can simply spot up on the corner, crash the glass, and work his backside off on defense while letting LeBron James and Anthony Davis cook.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
10.4	4.6	1.6	0.6	0.9

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
10.4	4.6	1.6	0.6	0.9

Dorian Finney-Smith news

Dorian
Finney-Smith news