The biggest question surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers is what’s next with the 2026-27 season fast approaching.
The Lakers have clear needs and not much time … and not many options, either. Rumors have it that L.A. will either make a trade or just waive one player and go into the season as is. But there is a drawback to both.
The Lakers can make a trade, but it may not be realistic to expect a favorable return given the makeup of the team’s trade assets.If they cut someone, that makes them roster-compliant but leaves them entering a crucial season with two major roster needs unaddressed. And when a team has a generational talent in his prime, that is borderline unacceptable.
Lakers Have Limited Trade Options, But Could This Familar Face Be a Target?
L.A. can aim to make a modest trade; expecting anything more may not be realistic with the team having few easily-tradeable contracts and just one first round pick swap to throw into a deal.
One player who has been floated as a potential Lakers trade target is Dorian Finney-Smith, who landed in L.A. from the Brooklyn Nets in a December 2024 trade. Finney-Smith had his moments of promise with the Lakers, but the two sides had a messy split, which is why analyst Trevor Lane doubts the veteran forward is an option for the Lakers.
“I don’t know how things ended between DFS and the Lakers; that may have been a little rocky, too,” Lane said in a recent video on the Lakers Nation YouTube channel. “I would not expect to see him come back to L.A.”
Finney-Smith appeared in 43 games for the Lakers in the 2024-25 season, averaging 7.9 points per game while shooting an elite 39.8 percent from the 3-point line. Although Lane doesn’t see the Lakers reuniting with Finney-Smith, he believes the 33-year-old could be a helpful addition to the roster if circumstances were normal.
Finney-Smith and L.A. Have ‘Bad Blood’
Finney-Smith departed the franchise to sign a four-year deal with the Houston Rockets as a free agent in 2025. Recently, Lakers insider Jovan Buha revealed the rift that developed between the Lakers and Finney-Smith in their short time together.
“I think the ship has sailed with DFS and the Lakers organization,” Buhas said. “I think there was some real bad blood last summer, with how the entire situation was handled, in terms of some of the intel that leaked out, and some things with DFS’s health and injury track record. I will be pretty surprised if he and his team are willing to look past that.”
Finney-Smith clearly played well enough as a Laker to be handed a long-term deal from the Rockets last summer. Finney-Smith lasted just one season in Houston after being dealt to the Charlotte Hornets in July.
If the Lakers had interest in Finney-Smith, they could make a deal for him now that his trade eligibility has kicked back in after being sent from Houston to Charlotte.
The Lakers do, however, need someone at power forward who can log starter’s level minutes and be dependable defensively. Finney-Smith is a capable 3-and-D player but may be far from the Lakers’ best option.
Lakers Not Expected to Trade for $40M PF After ‘Bad Blood’ Led to Ugly Breakup