The Los Angeles Lakers' general manager Rob Pelinka will be tasked with figuring out a course of action for the franchise's offseason spending plans, as the team may look to reconfigure their roster to give LeBron James and Luka Dončić a real shot at winning a title together in 2025-26.
Los Angeles could be in the market to negotiate a trade to bring in another star talent to pair with the generational tandem, but the front office's focus might first be to navigate their current contractual obligations, as some key contributors will be up for a new or restructured deal in the coming months.
One of the team's more experienced and versatile options, Dorian Finney-Smith, will be a name to monitor in contract extension talks.
While the floor-spacing wing and active defender may be willing to commit to the Lakers for the long haul, recent reports have indicated that he and the franchise could work on a future deal that could provide the forward with a renewed sense of financial security and possible motivation to stick around and help the team raise an 18th championship banner in franchise history.
"(Finney-Smith) has a $15.4 million player option," CBS Sports' Sam Quinn wrote Thursday.
"The Lakers would love him back at that number. He would presumably like to be back, but with a bit more long-term security."
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"Depending on what the Lakers are trying to accomplish from a cap perspective, that means they could either given him an extension off of that $15.4 million number or, if they need a bit more wiggle room this season, potentially ask him to opt out and leave a bit on the table for this season for more money in future years."
"Either way, expect a long-term resolution to be reached."
Whether he receives an extension or decides to assist the organization by taking a slight pay cut in the present, it could be assumed that Finney-Smith is invested in the Lakers' mission of winning a title with a group being led by the core of James and Dončić.
At 31 years old, the ex-Dallas Mavericks forward and longtime Dončić teammate with Dallas and now Los Angeles has developed into one of the more reliable three-and-D wings in the game.
The 6-foot-7 combo-forward contributed 8.7 points and 3.9 rebounds while knocking down 41.1% of his looks from three-point range in 63 appearances this season, though his efficiency from outside dropped to a 39.8% clip in his 43 contests with the team after arriving via trade from the Brooklyn Nets on Dec. 29.
While Finney-Smith possesses a 36.2% career shooting percentage from distance, his long-range shot drops at an incredible 41.2% rate in the playoffs, making him an incredibly useful player that meshes well with the play-style of the Lakers' two superstars, and certainly one worth bringing back on a team-friendly deal.
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