After arriving midseason via trade, Dorian Finney-Smith quickly became a respected locker room voice and versatile defensive asset for the Los Angeles Lakers.
And if his recent comments are any indication, the veteran forward isn’t ready to leave L.A. just yet.
As The Orange County Register’s Khobi Price reported in a subscriber-exclusive piece, Finney-Smith reflected positively on his time with the Lakers during his end-of-season exit interview.
“Amazing,” Finney-Smith said when asked to describe his half-season stint with the team, suggesting a strong desire to stay.
The 32-year-old holds a $15.4 million player option for next season, and while it remains unclear whether he’ll opt in or seek a new long-term deal, the tone of his comments suggests he’s leaning toward staying with the purple and gold.
Assuming he returns, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin sees Finney-Smith playing a major role in 2025–26.
On the Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre podcast, McMenamin expressed optimism about the veteran’s outlook after dealing with injury issues earlier in the year.
“I think Dorian Finney-Smith will be a major contributor on this year’s Lakers team,” McMenamin said. “He did not come in healthy and it took him some time to get some rhythm. With him having the comfort factor, the health factor on his side, I think he’ll be right there with being considered the (Lakers’) third-best player along with Austin Reaves.”
That’s high praise for a player who arrived midseason and never fully found his rhythm, yet showed flashes of being the ideal 3-and-D forward in L.A.’s system.
With LeBron James aging, Finney-Smith’s ability to defend multiple positions and hit open threes could make him one of the Lakers’ most valuable glue guys moving forward.
As the Lakers weigh big-picture roster changes this summer, retaining and fully unlocking Finney-Smith’s potential could prove just as important as any splashy trade.
Onyeka Okongwu is just one center the Lakers may look to when addressing their big man depth this summer. Details: https://t.co/jeWRP7LS7Y
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) May 24, 2025
