Lakers Lose Key Forward in Free Agency to Rockets originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
A critical free-agent forward has abandoned the Los Angeles Lakers for the Houston Rockets.
Houston has had a dynamite offseason already, and we’re just half-an-hour into the start of free agency.
The Rockets flipped the No. 10 pick in last week’s NBA draft (which wound up being Duke center Khaman Maluach), five future second-rounders, and wings Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for 15-time All-Star forward Kevin Durant.
Although the two-time Finals MVP is not quite his prime Oklahoma City Thunder/Golden State Warriors self, the 6-foot-11 big man remains one of the elite three-level scorers in the game when healthy.
Durant should help improve Houston from a scrappy No. 2 seed in the West this past season into a legitimate contender.
Houston went on to ink former 2021 No. 3 overall pick Jabari Smith Jr. to a three-season, $122 million rookie-scale contract extension, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
The Rockets also inked veteran deals with incumbent vets Jeff Green and Aaron Holiday, per Kelly Iko of The Athletic.
Neither player was a big part of Houston’s locker room on its 52-30 team last season, although Green was a critical sixth man for the title-winning Denver Nuggets just two years ago. They also re-signed swingman Jae’Sean Tate, sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
Now, the Rockets are bringing in a new free agent to bolster their veteran defense with some critical two-way frontcourt depth.
Charania reports that the Houston Rockets are inking 3-and-D combo forward Dorian Finney-Smith to a four-year, $53 million deal.
Free agent forward Dorian Finney-Smith has agreed to a four-year, $53 million deal with the Houston Rockets, sources tell ESPN. Finney-Smith’s agent, Michael Tellem of Excel Sports, negotiated terms of the deal tonight with Rockets executives for the 3-and-D wing. pic.twitter.com/wUNbGn0rOy
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2025
Iko reported in the hours ahead of free agency that the Rockets also intended to hold meetings with Minnesota Timberwolves 3-and-D wing Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard, in addition to Finney-Smith.
Finney-Smith is a fairly similar player to Alexander-Walker, likely knocking him off the board for the Rockets.
The Rockets are working quickly to secure meetings with Dorian Finney-Smith, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard at the outset of free agency, team sources tell @TheAthletic.
— Kelly Iko (@KellyIko) June 30, 2025
That said, Kennard is an intriguing wing sharpshooter. Historically, the 6-foot-6 shooting guard’s 43.8% shooting from distance makes him the third-best three-point marksman of all time, by percentage.
Granted, Kennard cannot create off the dribble, meaning prolific shooters who can — like Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard, James Harden and Reggie Miller — may in fact be “better” shooters from distance, whose numbers are affected by the frequency with which they shoot.
Kennard could be a solid bench option, perhaps as a bi-annual exception signing.
The departure of Finney-Smith represents a critical loss for the Lakers. By the end of the team’s five-game first round playoff series loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, he had been shifted into head coach JJ Redick’s position-less starting five, while playing all three frontcourt positions.
Related: Auburn Star Jabari Smith Inks $122 Million Extension With Rockets
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 30, 2025, where it first appeared.