Dorian Finney-Smith Joins Houston Rockets

Dorian Finney-Smith’s transition to the Houston Rockets, while surprising to some, is an interesting development in the current free agency landscape.

This combo forward signed a four-year, $53 million deal at the beginning of free agency, making it one of the more significant offseason changes noted so far.

In a recent podcast, Lakers insider Anthony Irwin suggested that Rob Pelinka, the Lakers’ general manager, may have taken steps to undermine Finney-Smith’s value during negotiations. It seems, according to Irwin, that Pelinka intended to share concerns regarding Finney-Smith’s injuries, trying to gauge the market for him.

Interestingly, Irwin later clarified—contrary to Pelinka’s claims—that the issues were actually related to Finney-Smith’s ankle, not his knee. So, it appears there may have been some miscommunication or perhaps an oversight.

Finney-Smith did indeed undergo surgery on his left ankle earlier this month, so the injury concerns were valid, though not as Pelinka represented. If Irwin’s assertions hold up, then Pelinka’s attempt to lower Finney-Smith’s perceived value backfired.

In the end, Finney-Smith chose to opt out of his $15.4 million option with the Lakers, instead securing a more lucrative contract with the Rockets.

Finney-Smith proved to be a reliable 3-and-D player during his time with the Lakers, where he averaged 7.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists over 43 games while shooting 39.8% from three-point range.

Before joining the Lakers, he spent five seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, bringing a rich playoff experience and notable versatility, especially that connection with Luka Doncic.

To offset Finney-Smith’s departure, the Lakers quickly turned around and signed Jay Laravia to a two-year, $12 million contract using a mid-level taxpayer exception. Laravia had a solid season, averaging 6.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists across 66 games with Memphis and Sacramento.