Dorian Finney-Smith is the latest veteran addition for the Houston Rockets, as the 3-and-D wing declined his player option with the Lakers earlier this week and agreed to a new four-year, $53 million deal with the Rockets, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Houston been among the most aggressive teams in the NBA this summer, most notably trading Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and the 10th overall pick to the Suns for Kevin Durant. It’s clear that the Rockets organization decided their focus this summer needed to be adding veteran presence and established postseason performers to their roster. They re-signed Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams to keep two of their best veterans and have now added Durant and Finney-Smith to provide some wisdom and balance to their talented young roster.
Finney-Smith averaged 8.7 points and 3.9 rebounds per game and shot 41.1 percent from three-point range in 63 appearances in Brooklyn and Los Angeles, joining the Lakers in an early season trade. Many expected the veteran wing to be a top priority for the Lakers given his closeness with Luka Dončić, as he was teammates with Dončić for four-plus seasons in Dallas.
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However, the Lakers weren’t willing to give him a long-term deal so he opted to explore his options elsewhere. The Rockets were willing to give the 32-year-old the kind of stability he sought while also providing a chance to contend for a championship, using their midlevel exception to add Finney-Smith to their roster.
Houston is currently the third favorite for the NBA championship next season (15/2 odds at BetMGM) and are considered the top threat to the Thunder in the West. Durant’s addition is the biggest reason for that optimism, but adding Finney-Smith gives Ime Udoka even more options for his rotation and another veteran he can trust in the playoffs.
The Rockets have built their identity under Udoka as a defensive force, and after trading away Brooks they add another veteran with strong defensive chops in Finney-Smith.
He joins a wing rotation headlined by Durant and Amen Thompson, with Jabari Smith Jr. (also recently signed to an extension), Tari Eason and Cam Whitmore as other options at Udoka’s disposal.