Lakers projected lineup after acquiring Dorian Finney-Smith from Brooklyn
Just hours after NBA trade rumors linked Dorian Finney-Smith to the Memphis Grizzlies, the two-way forward was dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers along with Shake Milton in exchange for D'Angelo Russell, Max Christie, and three second-round picks, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.
This deal makes a whole lot of sense for the Lakers, as Finney-Smith brings high-end three-point shooting and outstanding defense to a team that could use improvement in both areas. The 31-year-old is shooting a career-high 43.5 percent from 3-point range on 5.4 attempts. The Lakers are tied for 27th in the league, making just 11.8 threes per game. Finney-Smith creating space for players like LeBron James and Anthony Davis to take advantage of will prove to be incredibly useful.
Shake Milton isn't nearly as big of an addition, but even he has had a nice season for the Brooklyn Nets, averaging 7.4 points in 18.2 minutes per game while shooting 38.9 percent from downtown. He can provide some solid minutes at a guard spot if needed.
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Lakers rotation looks much-improved after acquiring Dorian Finney-Smith from Nets
Position | Starter | Second Unit |
|---|---|---|
Point Guard | Austin Reaves | Gabe Vincent |
Shooting Guard | Max Christie | Shake Milton |
Small Forward | Rui Hachimura | Dalton Knecht |
Power Forward | LeBron James | Dorian Finney-Smith |
Center | Anthony Davis | Christian Koloko |
Trading Russell creates a gaping hole at the point guard position. We know that LeBron James can run the offense and that Gabe Vincent is capable of doing so as well off the bench, but can Austin Reaves facilitate well enough? He's had back-to-back double-doubles and dished out 16 assists on Saturday, so he's certainly capable of creating open looks. It'll be interesting to see if that improved trend continues.
Clearly, the Lakers believe they have enough point guard depth on their roster if they were comfortable parting with Russell.
Another question that needs answering is what happens now with Max Christie. Do the Lakers keep him in the starting lineup? With how he's played lately, there's no reason to believe that they should move him back to the bench.
As for the newcomer, arguments can be made as to whether Finney-Smith should start or come off the bench. Chances are, he'll do some of both. Whether he starts or not, he's going to play a ton with both the starting unit and when the bench is on the court.
Whether Milton sees the floor regularly or not remains to be seen, but he does look like an upgrade over Cam Reddish who has been part of Los Angeles' rotation recently. Reddish has more size than Milton, but is shooting just 30.6 percent from three-point range.
Finney-Smith and Milton are far from the big names Lakers fans were hoping for, but the team improved two of its biggest weaknesses in one deal without giving up a single first-round pick. Holding onto their firsts opens the door to another big trade before February's trade deadline.
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