Lakers Trade for Finney-Smith, Show They’re Serious About Winning

After weeks of speculation, discussion, and rumors, the Lakers finally made their first big in-season move. And it came from a rather unexpected place. Instead of swinging for the fences and landing a superstar, they decided to give their roster some depth.

The franchise made a deal with the Nets. They traded away D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks in order to get Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton.

(Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)

The move, which should shore up a rather shallow Los Angeles team, came after the 31st game of the season. That’s significant because Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka stated earlier this year he would wait 30 games to fully evaluate the team before deciding on any moves.

At that mark, Los Angeles is 18-13 and right in the middle of the playoff hunt. That position, mixed with the fact that LeBron James and Anthony Davis are both on the tail-end of their careers, sparked leadership to make a move.

Much-Needed Depth

Los Angeles is winning games, and beating good teams while doing so. Still, there are some rather big issues with the roster. They don't have a ton of depth, lack strong physicality, and are largely propped up by both James and Davis. The recent trade seeks to fix such issues.

While Milton, who is averaging 7.4 points a game and 2.4 assists, is largely a throw-in for a guard-heavy team, Finney-Smith is an important piece. The 6-7 forward brings a veteran presence alongside extra power and length to the wing position.

The “3-and-D” wing has a ton of versatility. He can defend just about any position, and is shooting a strong 43.5 percent from three this season. He’s averaging 10.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists a game as well.

Those stats are always nice to have, as he’s a player who can do whatever Los Angeles needs. He’s able to body up outside and get big down low, while also adding a deep threat who can stretch or pressure opposing defenses.

In addition, he can serve as a fill-in center for small ball lineups. That’s incredibly important for the Lakers because it allows Davis to rest without giving up too much ground to the opposing team. Having someone to fill in is a big deal, and could help the Lakers win tight games.

Making Their Move

The acquisition is also important because it shows the Lakers are serious about competing. The franchise isn’t known for shaking things up, but they want to build around their stars and now believe it’s possible to make a run.

While their guards have done a good job, they just don’t have the size to keep up with the top teams. That’s where Finney-Smith comes in. He hopes to shore up the Lakers 21st-ranked defense, and allows the Lakers to run another stretch wing alongside Rui Hachimura.

On top of that, the trade helped out the Lakers pocketbooks too. It will save them a total of $15 million by moving $3.5 million below the second apron.

Future Additions

It’s also worth noting the Lakers retained a lot of their capital. Russell is a solid point guard, but he wasn’t a key piece to the team. The Lakers also did not give up any of their future first round picks.

In that way, they made their team better and still have the ability to pivot moving towards the trade deadline. They still have the ability to move three future first round picks and one second if they want to bring in more talent to the team.

Sources state they are still in the market for another solid backup center, but would also make a play at a bigger name if it would mean getting them closer to a ring.

“[The Lakers] are monitoring the sellers around the NBA,” said NBA insider Shams Charania. “...My sources in that Lakers front office tell me they’re open to moving - they’ve got three first-round picks they can trade. They’re open to moving that in a potential trade, but they want a player or players that they feel can get into this iteration of this team now with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but can also play for three, four, or five more years under JJ Redick as the coach.”

A New Starting Five

The move is undoubtedly good for Los Angeles, but it also raises some questions. The biggest being how their lineup will look moving forward. They are going to get Finney-Smith playing time, but their point guard position is now wide open.

Austin Reaves will likely take over that role. Even so, there are many questions about him taking over that position and being a true starter. He has good court vision and can score, but being a leader takes a bit more than that.

There’s also a chance coach J.J Redick alters the starting lineup. He’s tweaked it a few times recently, and there’s a chance that Finney-Smith takes over for Max Christie or Rui Hachimura in the coming games. If he does, the Lakers are sure he’ll produce.