Lakers were right to let Dorian Finney-Smith walk as he still can’t get minutes

Lake Show Life argues that the Los Angeles Lakers made the correct decision by allowing forward Dorian Finney-Smith to leave in free agency. Finney-Smith signed a four-year, $52.7 million deal with the Houston Rockets in 2025 after declining a player option with Los Angeles. Since departing, the veteran forward has struggled following ankle surgery and has managed only eight garbage-time minutes across the Atlanta Hawks' first three games.

After entering Houston's rotation inconsistently, Finney-Smith was traded to the Charlotte Hornets and subsequently to Atlanta. The writer credits Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka for preserving future cap space to build around Luka Doncic rather than committing to an expensive long-term contract for an aging, declining forward.