Newsletter
Fadeaway World
  • Fadeaway World
  • NBA News & Analysis
  • NBA Trade Rumors
  • NBA News & Media
  • Exclusive Interviews
  • NBA 2K
Reading: Dorian Finney-Smith Likely To Decline $15.4M Player Option With Lakers And Become A Free Agent
Fadeaway WorldFadeaway World
Search
  • Fadeaway World
  • NBA News & Analysis
  • NBA Trade Rumors
  • NBA News & Media
  • Exclusive Interviews
  • NBA 2K
Follow US
Home > NBA News & Analysis > Los Angeles Lakers News & Analysis > Dorian Finney-Smith Likely To Decline $15.4M Player Option With Lakers And Become A Free Agent

Dorian Finney-Smith Likely To Decline $15.4M Player Option With Lakers And Become A Free Agent

Dorian Finney-Smith is likely to become a free agent in the 2025 offseason by declining his player option.

Gautam Varier
Jan 1, 2025
4 Min Read
Share

Credit: Fadeaway World

The Los Angeles Lakers received widespread praise for acquiring Dorian Finney-Smith from the Brooklyn Nets but they might have to loosen the purse strings to keep hold of him. According to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, Finney-Smith is expected to opt out of his $15.38 million player option for 2025-26 and become a free agent.

“While the Lakers hope to keep Finney-Smith long-term, the early expectation is he will decline his $15.38 million player option for the 2025-26 season and enter unrestricted free agency, HoopsHype has learned. Finney-Smith, a proven 3-and-D forward, is shooting a career-high 43.5 percent from 3-point range this season.”

You’d think the Lakers would have been aware of this before they gave up D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis, and three second-round picks for Finney-Smith and Shake Milton. That’s not a haul you give up for a one-year rental.

Understandably, Finney-Smith is looking for a big payday as he has had a pretty good season so far. The 31-year-old has averaged 10.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game for the Nets and the Lakers in 2024-25. He has shot 42.7% from beyond the arc while also being a force on the defensive end and would get paid handsomely if he hits the market.

On Dec. 22, the Oklahoma City Thunder gave Alex Caruso a four-year, $81 million deal and Finney-Smith would be looking to get a contract along those lines as well. Plenty of teams would be willing to give him that deal too, unless he has a disappointing stint with the Lakers.

Finney-Smith’s Lakers debut was solid but unspectacular. He had two points (1-4 FG), two rebounds, and two assists off the bench as they lost 122-110 to the Cleveland Cavaliers at Crypto.com Arena to drop to 18-14 on the season.

Finney-Smith should start to play better once he gets more accustomed to playing with his new teammates. Here’s what he had to say about his debut in his postgame press conference.

“It was fun, energy was amazing in there,” Finney-Smith said. “… The building was rocking but we didn’t get the win, unfortunately. (They) made some tough shots, we didn’t make enough.”

Finney-Smith also revealed he doesn’t know any of the plays when asked what he wanted to catch up on the most.

“Just the play calls,” Finney-Smith. “I ain’t really know no plays at all. Everybody was talking to me and helping me throughout the game. I was limited on minutes but shoot I just try to have immediate impact, do what coach asked me to do. Be me.

“Be a dog on defense, talk, and bring energy, so that’s all I tried to do,” Finney-Smith added. “I got two open looks but like (Anthony Davis) been telling me, you going to get more of those and just happy I got some clean looks. It’s been a while since I got some clean ones.”

If it wasn’t obvious enough, Finney-Smith is thrilled to go from the rebuilding Nets to the Lakers. He is now on a team that’s hoping to compete for a title and is keen to help them accomplish that goal.

Finney-Smith will be in action next when the Lakers take on the Portland Trail Blazers at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday at 10:30 PM ET.

Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We really appreciate your support.

Follow on Google News

Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We appreciate your support.

TAGGED:Dorian Finney-smithLos Angeles Lakers Archive
Share This Article
Facebook Email Copy Link Print
ByGautam Varier
Follow:
Gautam Varier is a staff writer and columnist for Fadeaway World from Mumbai, India. He graduated from Symbiosis International University with a Master of Business specializing in Sports Management in 2020. This educational achievement enables Gautam to apply sophisticated analytical techniques to his incisive coverage of basketball, blending business acumen with sports knowledge.Before joining Fadeaway World in 2022, Gautam honed his journalistic skills at Sportskeeda and SportsKPI, where he covered a range of sports topics with an emphasis on basketball. His passion for the sport was ignited after witnessing the high-octane offense of the Steve Nash-led Phoenix Suns. Among the Suns, Shawn Marion stood out to Gautam as an all-time underrated NBA player. Marion’s versatility as a defender and his rebounding prowess, despite being just 6’7”, impressed Gautam immensely. He admired Marion’s finishing ability at the rim and his shooting, despite an unconventional jump shot, believing that Marion’s skill set would have been even more appreciated in today’s NBA.This transformative experience not only deepened his love for basketball but also shaped his approach to sports writing, enabling him to connect with readers through vivid storytelling and insightful analysis.
Previous Article Austin Reaves On His Bigger Role With The Lakers: “I’m Gonna Mess Up, I’m Gonna Do Dumb Things…”
Next Article JJ Redick: You Have To Play Close To Perfect Basketball To Beat The Cleveland Cavaliers
Leave a Comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Newsletter

Stay up to date with our newsletter on the latest news, trends, ranking lists, and evergreen articles

Newsletter
Facebook X-twitter Instagram

You Might Also Like

JJ Redick
Los Angeles Lakers News & Analysis

Richard Jefferson Reveals Major Flaw In JJ Redick’s Coaching

October 3, 2025
Luka Doncic
Los Angeles Lakers News & Analysis

Austin Reaves Recalls Luka Doncic’s First Game Back In Dallas After Blockbuster Trade

October 3, 2025
Minnesota Timberwolves News & Analysis

Anthony Edwards Gets Real On Putting “Belt To A**” On Elite Players Like Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Stephen Curry

October 3, 2025
Golden State Warriors News & Analysis

Steve Kerr Took A Page From Phil Jackson’s Book To Avoid Contract Distractions During Warriors’ Season

October 3, 2025

NBA - Fadeaway World

  • Atlanta Hawks
  • Boston Celtics
  • Brooklyn Nets
  • Charlotte Hornets
  • Chicago Bulls
  • Cleveland Cavaliers
  • Dallas Mavericks
  • Denver Nuggets
  • Detroit Pistons
  • Golden State Warriors
  • Houston Rockets
  • Indiana Pacers
  • Los Angeles Clippers
  • Los Angeles Lakers
  • Memphis Grizzlies
  • Miami Heat
  • Milwaukee Bucks
  • Minnesota Timberwolves
  • New Orleans Pelicans
  • New York Knicks
  • Oklahoma City Thunder
  • Orlando Magic
  • Philadelphia 76ers
  • Phoenix Suns
  • Portland Trail Blazers
  • Sacramento Kings
  • San Antonio Spurs
  • Toronto Raptors
  • Utah Jazz
  • Washington Wizards

Pages

  • NBA Trade Rumors
  • NBA Media
  • Exclusive NBA Interviews
  • NBA 2K News & Updates

© 2025 Fadeaway World @ All Rights Reserved

  • About Fadeaway World
  • Fadeaway World Authors
  • Editorial Team
  • Ethics Policy
  • Corrections Policy
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Fact-Checking Policy
  • Contact Us
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?