Rockets' Dorian Finney-Smith: Inks pact with Houston
Rotowire
Finney-Smith (ankle) agreed to a four-year, $53 million contract with the Rockets on Monday, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
Finney-Smith will join Houston after declining his $15.4 million player option with the Lakers for 2025-26 on Sunday. The 3-and-D forward will provide the Rockets with depth in the frontcourt after a productive 2024-25 campaign, during which he shot a career-high 41.1 percent from beyond the arc over 63 regular-season appearances (40 starts) between Los Angeles and Brooklyn. Finney-Smith also averaged 8.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.0 three-pointers in 28.9 minutes per game. The 32-year-old underwent surgery on his left ankle in mid-June but is expected to be ready for training camp.
Dorian Finney-Smith: Declines player option Sunday
Rotowire
Finney-Smith (ankle) declined his $15.4 million player option with the Lakers on Sunday, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
Finney-Smith will enter free agency and is expected to draw interest from several contending teams. The 3-and-D forward shot a career-best 41.1 percent from beyond the arc across 63 regular-season games (40 starts) between Brooklyn and Los Angeles last season, averaging 8.7 points and 3.9 rebounds in 28.9 minutes per contest. The 32-year-old recently underwent surgery on his left ankle but is expected to be ready for training camp.
Lakers' Dorian Finney-Smith: Undergoes surgery on ankle
Rotowire
Finney-Smith underwent successful surgery on his left ankle and is expected to be ready for training camp, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports.
Finney-Smith heads into the NBA offseason with a player option on his contract with the Lakers worth $15.3 million. Even after undergoing ankle surgery, he'll likely remain a priority for the Lakers in free agency, whether he decides to opt into his contract or opt out in hopes of getting a long-term deal. After the Nets traded him in December of 2024, the veteran forward played 43 regular-season games for Los Angeles and averaged 7.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game, shooting 44.2 percent from the field and 39.8 percent from deep.
Lakers' Dorian Finney-Smith: Adds seven points in Game 5 loss
Rotowire
Finney-Smith fouled out of Wednesday's 103-96 loss to the Timberwolves in Game 5 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs after recording seven points (3-5 FG, 1-3 3Pt), four rebounds, two assists and one steal in 29 minutes.
Finney-Smith joined the starting lineup for Wednesday's clash but failed to capitalize on the opportunity, as he was held to single figures in scoring for the fifth straight game. He averaged 6.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists in a series that was mostly dominated by Minnesota, with the loss bringing a swift end to LA's championship aspirations. One bright spot for Finney-Smith over the course of the 2024-25 regular season was his remarkable improvement from beyond the arc, as he hit at a clip of 41.1 percent from deep across 63 games, marking a new career high.
Lakers' Dorian Finney-Smith: Jumps into starting five
Rotowire
Finney-Smith is part of the first unit for Wednesday's game against the Timberwolves, Ryan Ward of LakersNation.com reports.
Finney-Smith has played at least 29 minutes in each of the first four games of the series but will get his first start in Game 5, replacing Jaxon Hayes. Finney-Smith is averaging 6.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists across 35.3 minutes per game this series.
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Lakers' Dorian Finney-Smith: Logs 41 minutes
Rotowire
Finney-Smith had six points (2-7 FG, 2-6 3Pt), eight rebounds, six assists and one block over 41 minutes during Sunday's 116-113 loss to the Timberwolves in Game 4 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Due to a brutal start by Jaxson Hayes, coach J.J. Redick rode with Finney-Smith for most of the night. Finney-Smith started the second half and didn't come out for any breaks. With the season on the line for Los Angeles, it's likely that Finney-Smith again plays a featured role in Game 5 next to Rui Hachimura.
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