Every team in the NBA has different priorities. That’s how trades happen. A team may have different needs than another team. When that happens, sometimes, a transaction occurs.
For example, look at the Los Angeles Lakers. This team doesn’t need to worry about the average age of its roster. They need to worry about the standings. With LeBron James approaching the end of his career, the Lakers have one priority. They need to give themselves the best chance of winning the NBA title that they can.
The Brooklyn Nets have got different priorities. The most important players on this roster are in their primes. Meanwhile, they’re not looking like serious title contenders, either. If they wanted to get younger, they could justify that decision. Could they do so by sending Dorian Finney-Smith to the Lakers?
NBA Trade Proposal — Los Angeles Lakers Land Dorian Finney-Smith
Brooklyn Nets Receive: F Rui Hachimura
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: F Dorian Finney-Smith
This is not how your average NBA trade looks. The player-for-player swap is increasingly rare. Typically, we see draft capital involved in a deal.
It wasn’t always this way. Teams used to trade players more frequently. Somewhere along the line, draft capital gained a larger influence in the trade market. It may have been an infamous trade that the Nets made that changed the landscape.
They acquired Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce from the Boston Celtics for draft picks that would eventually become Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Dorian Finney-Smith, Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers Updates
The Houston Rockets are hoping that their own trade with the Nets will work out similarly. They traded James Harden to Brooklyn for control of their draft through to 2027. That deal is still influencing the Nets’ decisions. Should they risk downgrading their roster?
Why The Brooklyn Nets Do The Deal
We’re not entirely sure that this deal would downgrade Brooklyn. Hachimura is a less reliable floor spacer than Finney-Smith. He’s not as strong of a defender. With that said, he is a more talented shot creator.
Guess what? The Nets have plenty of 3-and-D talent. They’re a bit lighter on shot creation. This deal may make the Nets a better team. At the same time, it doesn’t have to be for the Nets to justify it, either.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Dorian Finney-Smith, Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers Updates
After all, Hachimura is much younger than Finney-Smith. Sure, the Nets owe their picks to the Rockets – they may not want to move Mikal Bridges. They can still spare Finney-Smith, especially considering their surplus of 3-and-D wings.
Should the Lakers be interested in adding a player like Finney-Smith?
Why The Los Angeles Lakers Do The Deal
The Lakers have made some interesting decisions recently. Here we are saying that they don’t need to worry about their average age. Yet, the Lakers have been making a concerted effort to get younger. Why?
It may be that they’re preparing for life without James. That would be fair enough. On the other hand, they could be preparing for a trade to help the first-ballot Hall of Famer. In that event, this would be a good deal.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Dorian Finney-Smith, Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers Updates
After all, Finney-Smith is a better shooter and defender than Hachimura. With James on the roster, that’s all that matters. The Lakers are landing a fantastic 3-and-D wing in this deal. In our opinion, that ought to be a priority for them.
