EL SEGUNDO — Dorian Finney-Smith isn’t a stranger to having his name in trade rumors.
As the nine-year NBA veteran put it, it’s a place his name has been for the past two years before the Lakers acquired him and Shake Milton in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday that sent D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three second-round draft picks to Brooklyn.
The Memphis Grizzlies appeared to be the frontrunner to acquire Finney-Smith before the Lakers traded for him.
“You hear the noise,” Finney-Smith said on Monday during his first availability with reporters as a Laker. “But I’m one of them guys, last year I got fed up. I was tired of hearing the noise. You start paying attention to it a little too much and you lose sight of where you’re at. And that’s what happened last year. I thought I was gonna get moved and I ended up staying in Brooklyn.
“So this year, I just wanted to be where my feet [were] at. And that was in Brooklyn.”
And now they’re in Southern California, with the Lakers bolstering their frontcourt depth with the 6-foot-7 Finney-Smith and adding another potential ball handler to their backcourt with the 6-5 Milton.
And for the new Lakers, they have the opportunity to go from a rebuilding team in the Nets to an organization in the Lakers that’s in constant pursuit of an 18th NBA championship.
“I’m excited,” said Finney-Smith, who averaged 10.4 points on 45.9% shooting (43.5% from 3-point range), 4.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 20 games for Brooklyn this season. “I’m back to playing some meaningful basketball. It’s been a while, but I’m excited, especially if I can go [on Tuesday].”
He added: “In Brooklyn, we were just fighting to get in the playoffs. Here, we’re trying to win the championship. So it’s a different approach, different energy, all around. It’s tough, especially coming from a place where you don’t know the direction. Now, I know the direction. Everybody wants to win here. We’re trying to do amazing things here, so I’m excited.”
Finney-Smith, a nine-year NBA veteran, is a 3-and-D forward the Lakers (18-13) have coveted for some time. And that was even before JJ Redick, who showed admiration for Finney-Smith during his previous career as a podcaster/broadcaster, became the team’s head coach this past summer.
“Dorian gives us another defender – he’s a guy that has guarded multiple positions throughout his career,” Redick said Monday. “He’s worked to become an elite spot-up, catch-and-shoot 3-point shooter. So just excited to have him.
“Shake, another guy that can handle the ball and score the basketball and shoot the basketball. Was teammates with both these guys. So I know what they bring on the court. I also know what they bring in terms of a culture and locker room fit. Those guys are going to be great for our group, both on and off the court.”
Redick, who played in the NBA for 15 seasons (2006-21), was previously teammates with Milton with the Philadelphia 76ers (2017-19) and Finney-Smith in Dallas (2021).
The Lakers will be the fifth team Milton, a seven-year NBA veteran, has played for since the start of the 2023-24 season. He’s been traded three times in the last 11 months and averaged 7.4 points on 46.5% shooting (38.9% from 3-point range), 1.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists with the Nets.
“Knowing the type of guy JJ is too, I know that I’ll be able to come to him and communicate and really get a feel of what he’s seeing on the floor and what he’s expecting of me, what he wants me to do,” Milton said. “That will really be the biggest thing I’m looking forward to doing. And on top of that, JJ was a hooper, he knows how to play ball and when you’re out there on the court, things kind of translate. It’s gonna make the transition a little more smooth.”
It wasn’t known as of Monday afternoon whether Finney-Smith and Milton would be available for Tuesday night’s home game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Players who are traded aren’t allowed to participate in practices or games until physical exams of all the traded players are conducted and approved by the NBA.
But the Lakers are looking forward to getting their newest acquisitions on the court.
“They bring experience, they bring toughness and guys that played in big games that mastered their roles throughout their career,” LeBron James said of the team’s acquisitions. “And I’m looking forward to them getting into our system and making an immediate impact whenever their number is called.”
INJURY UPDATES
Veteran guard Gabe Vincent didn’t practice on Monday after leaving Friday’s home win against the Sacramento Kings because of a strained oblique and will be questionable for Tuesday, with Redick saying Vincent’s status is day-to-day.
Backup center Jaxson Hayes participated in practice and is probable for Tuesday after missing 20 of the last 21 games because of right ankle ailments.
Forward Jarred Vanderbilt, who hasn’t played this season after having surgery on his feet in May, participated in the non-contact parts of practice. There isn’t anything imminent on his return but the team previously said his return was being targeted for early January.
CAVALIERS AT LAKERS
When: Tuesday, 6 p.m.
Where: Crypto.com Arena
TV/radio: Spectrum SportsNet, 710 AM
