Lakers must find a way to keep veteran forward

Dorian Finney-Smith joined the Los Angeles Lakers in December. The three-and-D forward was part of the deal that sent D'Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets. In joining the Lakers, Finney-Smith gave coach JJ Redick a reliable defensive presence on the wing and some much-needed floor spacing on offense.

On Sunday, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Finney-Smith is will decline his $15.4M player option. As such, the 32-year-old forward will now hit the unrestricted free agent market.

"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 posted on X. "Multiple contending teams are expected to pursue Finney-Smith beginning Monday night and a Lakers return is possible."

Finney-Smith is one of the best role-playing three-and-D forwards in the NBA. He's a reliable shooter, having shot 39.8% on 4.8 attempts per game during his 43 outings for the Lakers. And, most importantly, he's a versatile lock-down defender. 

On paper, losing Finney-Smith fits with GM Rob Pelinka's youth movement. The idea in Lakerland right now is to build around star guard Luka Doncic, and that includes fitting his current timeline. However, you can never have too many high-level defenders who can space the floor. Finney-Smith is well-suited for operating alongside a heliocentric star. 

So, while allowing Finney-Smith to explore his options makes sense from a financial point of view, the Lakers would be wise to tie him down to a new deal. After all, the data tells us he was a significant positive to the rotation when on the court.

According to Cleaning The Glass, the Lakers were outscoring teams by 17.1 points per 100 possessions when Finney-Smith was on the floor, following his addition to the roster. It makes no sense to risk losing him in free agency without getting any return. 

Pelinka and Finney-Smith will likely come to a deal. If not, the Lakers are letting a valuable role player slip through their fingers. And like it or not, his impact isn't something you can easily replace on the free-agent market.