The Los Angeles Lakers will face a daunting challenge to bring back Dorian Finney-Smith next season.
Finney-Smith, who declined his $15.4 million player option to enter unrestricted free agency, will have plenty of interest from contending teams.
One of them is the Houston Rockets, according to NBA insiders Jake Fischer and Marc Stein.
“The Houston Rockets have emerged as a viable free agent landing spot for Dorian Finney-Smith, league sources tell @TheSteinLine and me, after the veteran declined his $15.4 million player option for 2025-26 with the Lakers today,” Fischer wrote on X.
The Rockets have their full $14.1 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception to offer Finney-Smith to join Kevin Durant and their young nucleus in pursuit of a championship next season.
According to ESPN’s front office insider Bobby Marks, the Lakers will enter the first apron of the luxury tax if they re-sign Finney-Smith to more than $5.7 million or use the $5.1 million taxpayer midlevel exception.
Strong Interest to Re-Sign Dorian Finney-Smith
The Lakers have registered a strong interest to re-sign Finney-Smith, Stein and Fischer previously reported.
However, the Lakers will need to beat the Rockets’ potential offer.
In a March interview with Hoopshype, Finney-Smith hinted that he is not going to take a paycut.
“You see what just happened with Luka (Dončić)? Finney-Smith said at the time. “So, you’ve got to make sure you take care of yourself first,” Finney-Smith quickly added. “We need to finish the season strong. If we win, everybody eats (smiles).”
At his age, this could be Finney-Smith’s last shot at a big contract.
If he signs with the Rockets, that will open up the full $14.1 million midlevel exception for the Lakers to find a replacement for him.
If they lose him, it will be a massive blow to the Lakers, who paid three second-round picks for just a half-year rental that only yielded a first-round exit.
Dorian Finney-Smith’s Decision Tied to LeBron’s Future
Finney-Smith will have a tough decision to make that could have ramifications to LeBron James‘ future with the Lakers.
James opted into his $52.6 million player option, but he put the Lakers on notice.
Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul told ESPN that his top client wants to compete for a championship next season and that they will closely monitor the Lakers’ offseason activities.
“So, what we do know is he will be playing a record 23rd NBA season,” Charania said on SportsCenter following James’ decision to opt in. “Still not sure whether he plays one more season or he has multiple years left, but I’m told he wants to compete for a championship next season, and he is uncertain about the Lakers roster moving forward.”
LeBron Could Demand a Trade From Lakers
The Lakers only have a first-round pick (2031 or 2032), a few expiring salaries and up to four pick swaps to make a significant upgrade to a roster that lost in five games in the first round of the playoffs.
“So, what we do know is he will be playing a record 23rd NBA season,” Charania said. “Still not sure whether he plays one more season or he has multiple years left, but I’m told he wants to compete for a championship next season, and he is uncertain about the Lakers roster moving forward.”
Team president Rob Pelinka told Spectrum Sportsnet that they will leave no stone unturned to upgrade the Lakers roster. And if not, James might entertain the possibility of playing elsewhere to join a contender.
“LeBron James clearly is of the mindset that he wants to compete for a championship, and he’s going to be monitoring very closely on the Lakers going to make the moves that put them in position to seriously compete in that vaunted Western Conference,” Charania added. “And then if not, where do those conversations go, that becomes a subplot of this offseason Lakers.”
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