The Los Angeles Lakers are interested in Brooklyn Nets Dorian Finney-Smith, Royce O’Neale
The trade deadline is six weeks away and most deals get done around then, but rumors have begun.
It’s not a surprise, but The Athletic’s Jovan Buha reported Wednesday night that the Los Angeles Lakers are interested in the Nets’ two 30-year-old wings, Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neale. Both defensive stalwarts and solid citizens, the two would fill needed places on a championship-caliber squad.
Buha specifically stated:
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“Those are two players the Lakers have been interested in since the offseason and even before the trade deadline.” I know those are two players they’d be interested in bringing in.”
Indeed, at the February deadline, it was reported that an anonymous team had offered the Nets two first-round selections for DFS as part of the package for Kyrie Irving. An unknown team also offered Brooklyn a single first for O’Neale at the deadline. The 6’6″ wing was acquired from the Utah Jazz in June 2022 for a first-round pick.
Any trade for either, especially one involving draft assets returning, would very definitely necessitate a multi-team transaction. The Lakers have draft picks, both first and second round, although many of them are restricted.
As one Nets fan pointed out, Los Angeles won’t be able to transfer a first-round pick until 2029 because the New Orleans Pelicans have the option to defer the Lakers’ 2024 pick (as part of the Anthony Davis trade) until 2025.
Furthermore, because LA does not own their 2027 first outright, they cannot trade 2026 or 2028 according to the Stepien Rule. However, they may theoretically provide pick swaps. The issue is that the Lakers, as a perennial contender, are likely to have a lower pick than the Nets most years, rendering the trade irrelevant. The Lakers don’t have second rounders in 2024, 2026 or 2028.
Another factor in favor of a multi-team agreement is that the Nets would have to give up salary. Finney-Smith is owed $42.3 million over three years, including $13.4 million this season, while O’Neale is owed $9.5 million this season on an expiring contract. Brooklyn is now $8.0 million below the luxury tax threshold, but it has a number of trade exceptions that it might employ in transactions.
Sean Marks and company have a lot of experience with multi-team deals, having sent out Spencer Dinwiddie in a five-team deal in August 2021 and Kevin Durant in a four-team contract earlier this year.
DFS is averaging 10.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game while shooting 47/45/80. O’Neale has 7.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists on 39/39/63 shooting.
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