The Los Angeles Lakers finally made their big move, trading D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on December 29.
The 6-foot-7 Finney-Smith is the quintessential 3-and-D wing, a multi-positional defender who can also defend centers and forwards. He is hitting 43.5% of his 3-pointers this season, averaging 10.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists. The 31-year-old forward can also play center in small-ball lineups when Anthony Davis takes his customary rest if their other backup centers are not available.
Russell returns to Brooklyn, where he became an All-Star point guard in 2019. The former No. 2 overall pick is averaging 12.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists this season. He will have the opportunity to start and refurbish his diminished value with the rebuilding Nets on a contract year.
Milton is a serviceable backup point guard who is averaging 7.4 points on 38.9% 3-point shooting and 2.4 assists this season.
Russell has become expendable once the Lakers found their strides with Austin Reaves as their playmaker in the backcourt.
Reaves just dished a career-high 16 assists in the Lakers’ 132-122 win over the Sacramento Kings on Saturday, December 28, for their fifth win in six games.
Impact of The Trade Goes Beyond The Court
The trade fortified the Lakers’ depth and would likely improve their 21st-ranked defense and their 3-point shooting. Finney-Smith and Milton average a combined 3.4 per game versus Russell’s 1.9 per game this season. The Lakers ranked 27th in 3-pointers made, averaging 11.8 per game. If Finney-Smith and Milton sustain their season mark, the Lakers could jump into the top 20.
Lakers rookie coach JJ Redick now has two big wings in Rui Hachimura, who is shooting a career-high 45.2% from the 3-point line, and Finney-Smith to toggle between his offensive and defensive lineups.
But the trade did not only help the Lakers basketball-wise, but it also made financial sense for them. According to Charania, the trade also saved the Lakers a total of $15 million as they moved $3.5 million below the second apron.
Lakers Keep Their Powder Dry
The Lakers were able to pull it off without giving up any of their first-round picks, setting them up for a bigger move down the road.
They could technically trade three first-round picks, but one of those is the top-4 protected pick in 2027, which they currently owe to the Utah Jazz in the Russell Westbrook trade in 2023. They could trade that protection (meaning if it lands within the top four) in addition to their 2029 and 2031 selections.
Charania earlier reported that the Lakers are now more open to trading their draft capital.
“They’re monitoring the sellers around the NBA — Portland, Washington, Toronto, maybe Chicago,” Charania said on the “First Take” on December 26. “My sources in that Lakers front office tell me they’re open to moving — they’ve got three first-round picks they can trade.
“They’re open to moving that in a potential trade, but they want a player or players that they feel can get into this iteration of this team now with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but can also play for three, four or five more years under JJ Redick as the coach.”
