Thought Starter
A Solid Move for Rob Pelinka...
WE HAVE A TRADE!
Sunday morning, the Lakers made waves, acquiring 3-and-D wing Dorian Finney-Smith and guard Shake Milton from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three second round draft picks. Finney-Smith has been on Rob Pelinka’s radar for well over a year, and finally the Lakers were able to close the deal.
On its face, it looks like a sound deal for LA. Finney-Smith is one of the rare players in the league who really plays with a 3-and-D profile on the wing, as opposed to just being assigned that designation because he fits one half of the category and plays the right position. This season, Finney-Smith is shooting over 43% from beyond the arc, and while that’s a career high, in Dallas DFS had three seasons between 37.6 and 39.5%. Those are credible numbers on reasonable volume (about five attempts a game across the seasons referenced). Meanwhile, at 6'7", Finney-Smith is capable of guarding multiple positions.
Meanwhile, Russell’s playing time and capacity to contribute had gone way down since being removed from the starting lineup. He provided valuable bench scoring and playmaking, and while a huge chunk of Lakers fans are glad to be rid of him, the team will miss his skill set. The playmaking, in particular, is now in very short supply on the roster. But you can’t get something for nothing, and by acquiring the 6'5" Milton in addition to Finney-Smith, the Lakers gave themselves a credible backcourt option to fill some time should an injury or similar force JJ Redick’s hand. It’s not a stretch to think Milton could play a small role in the rotation, but the big thing is that the Lakers put another body in between Gabe Vincent and Jalen Hood-Schifino or Bronny James.
The trade raises some questions. Will Finney-Smith start? If so, whose spot does he take? If he comes off the bench, who will Redick pair Finney-Smith with? Does he play more for Max Christie or Rui Hachimura? Does he play alongside both of them, at different moments? How will adding another wing defender impact the burden put on LeBron James and Austin Reaves, both offensively and defensively?
And then the big one: What’s next? The Lakers held on to all the first-round draft picks they control, so those can still be included in a future deal. That said, in Russell they sent out their largest available salary, and trading the next largest (Hachimura) would open up a bigger hole in the rotation. It’s certainly possible the Lakers may not quite have the right pieces to put together the most appealing package for whatever players they’re still hunting, whether that’s Brooklyn’s Cam Johnson, Washington’s Jonas Valančiūnas and Malcolm Brogdon or anyone else who pops up. But that might have been the case even if they hadn’t made this trade. And multiple reports indicate the Lakers outbid Memphis for DFS, so they were certainly aggressive.
There are many times when giving Rob Pelinka credit is... challenging. But this is a good move, and one that deserves praise.
Overheard On This Episode...
“I think what we learned today is that the Lakers are willing, at least with some of their stuff, to make a trade and use capital on stuff that isn’t necessarily (a long term fix). Dorian Finney Smith is not going to necessarily [be] somebody that’s aligned to making the Lakers better as a sidekick for AD in three years.”
“I think it’s really a vote of confidence in Austin Reaves because when you trade D’Angelo Russell, it’s not just that you are saying we will turn the reins over more to Austin Reaves as a playmaker. You’re losing the safety net.”
“The Lakers clearly believe that the upgrade in defensive versatility will serve them better than the loss in playmaking.”
