The move was expected over the last day or so, but it doesn't make it any easier.
The Los Angeles Lakers only traded for Dorian Finney-Smith in December from the Nets. And now he's done.
The Houston Rockets reached a four-year, $53 million agreement with Finney-Smith on Monday soon after free agency opened, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
It's a huge move in the Western Conference. The Rockets were the No. 2 seed in the West last year, and the Lakers were the No. 3 seed.
Now, talent goes from one to the other.
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Finney-Smith shot 41% from 3-point range in 2024-25, a career high.
According to Charania, DFS held All-Star players to 47% effective shooting in the halfcourt, which was top-10 in the NBA. In simpler terms, he's a stud defender.
The Rockets have a lot of wings, but this is really a direct replacement. They sent out Dillon Brooks in the Kevin Durant trade. Now, they have their new and younger version of Brooks in Finney-Smith.
If the Rockets edge out the Lakers in 2025-26, it could be because of this direct swing of talent.
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