LeBron James knows that every offseason comes with the possibility of teammates leaving in search of bigger paydays—and that’s exactly the case for one veteran who suited up alongside him in over 40 games last season. This player chose not to accept the offer from the Los Angeles Lakers, and now his next destination could be the Houston Rockets.
According to a report from Jake Fischer, the former Lakers forward who could be on his way to Houston is Dorian Finney-Smith, who declined a $15.4 million player option that would’ve kept him in Los Angeles for another season next to James.
“The Houston Rockets have emerged as a viable free agent landing spot for Dorian Finney-Smith,” wrote Fischer, “after the veteran declined his $15.4 million player option for 2025-26 with the Lakers today.”
Why did Finney-Smith decline his player option?
It’s not hard to figure out why he turned down the $15.4 million the Lakers were offering—Dorian Finney-Smith is likely looking for a bigger payday. With the Rockets holding cap space through the Mid-Level Exception (MLE), they would have a clear path to signing him in free agency and could offer a slightly longer deal in the process.
Terrence Shannon Jr. #00 of the Minnesota Timberwolves scores on a layup in front of Austin Reaves #15, LeBron James #23 and Dorian Finney-Smith #17 of the Los Angeles Lakers during a 111-102 Lakers win at Crypto.com Arena on February 27, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images).
It’s worth noting that Finney-Smith played for two teams during the 2024–25 season, earning $14 million total—$8.6 million of which came from the Lakers. Since entering the league in 2016, he’s earned approximately $56.9 million in career earnings.
What would the Lakers lose if Finney-Smith leaves?
In 2024–25, Finney-Smith appeared in 63 games between the Nets and Lakers, with the bulk of those—43 games—coming in Los Angeles. He finished the season averaging 8.7 points per game, slightly below the 10-point average typically expected from an NBA power forward. With the Lakers, he averaged 7.9 points and started in just 20 games.
