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Lakers 'Expecting' Good News on Key Wing's Contract Decision

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Sean Deveney | Last updated Jun 27, 2025 2:06 PM ET

There are numerous issues at hand for the Lakers in the wake of this week's NBA draft, and one of the first ones on which they will get some clarity comes from wing Dorian Finney-Smith, the forward the team acquired in a trade with the Nets in December. Finney-Smith played 43 games with L.A. last season, making 20 starts and averaging 12.3 points while making 39.8% of his 3s.

But Smith is heading into the final year of a four-year, $56 million contract, and has the opportunity to opt out. He is due $15.4 million next season, and could not attract more than that on the open market, which gives him incentive to opt in and keep his money intact.

The Lakers, though, are not banking on that. "I'd say they're expecting him to opt out," one NBA executive said. "But then they're expecting him to sign on to stay in L.A. after that. If he opts in, that's even better, as long as it keeps him on the team. Unless there is a trade that comes out of nowhere, he will be a Laker next year, that's what everyone expects."

DFS is not likely to get much of a raise from the Lakers, not because he is not worthy of a bump--he is a very good 3-and-D player--but because it's clear the market is so tight that he would not get much of a raise if he did opt out.

But he wants to ensure he will be paid beyond this season. Thus, he could sign a longer-term deal and give himself some security with the Lakers. Finney-Smith would be a good candidate for a four-year deal with a modest raise over what he got when he signed an extension with Dallas in 2022.

He could, though, seek to limit the deal's length in hopes of getting back into free agency in a year or two, when there is more money available. That won't be the case here in 2025, though, so expect to see Finney-Smith back with the Lakers.

Finney-Smith's deadline for opting out is June 29.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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