The Brooklyn Nets’ fire sale continues while the Los Angeles Lakers add a very important piece, as ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Sunday that the Lakers have agreed to a trade that will send guard D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis, and three second-round picks to the Nets in exchange for forward Dorian Finney-Smith and guard Shake Milton.
The Lakers acquire Dorian Finney-Smith for D’Angelo Russell
This is the first trade the Lakers have completed in nearly two years, and they acquire a steady three-and-D presence while getting off of Russell’s lucrative contract. Russell is on an expiring four-year, $117 million contract and is an unrestricted free agent after this season.
Russell is averaging 12.4 points and shooting 33.3% from three in 29 games this season (10 starts). His role continued to diminish, with Austin Reaves establishing his role as a starter and rookie Dalton Knecht having a strong impact as a reserve.
Finney-Smith fills in a huge need for the Lakers
Finney-Smith is a huge upgrade for the Lakers, as he gives them much-needed wing depth behind LeBron James and Rui Hachimura. Additionally, Finney-Smith is an excellent defender, with the versatility to guard multiple positions and be a plug-and-play option for head coach JJ Redick.
Finney-Smith is averaging 10.2 points per game and is shooting a career-high 44% from three on 5.4 attempts per game. His 2.4 made threes per game is also a career-high.
For Brooklyn, Finney-Smith is unlikely to be the last veteran piece they move, as they have now sent away two starters in trades already this season. Earlier this month, they traded guard Dennis Schroder to the Golden State Warriors.
The Lakers will hope that this trade will help them compete in a tightly packed Western Conference. Los Angeles is currently fifth in the Western Conference with an 18-13 record and is starting to find their footing once again after enduring a period of struggles following their strong start.