Dorian Finney-Smith is a Houston Rocket, which was a minor surprise to some.

The combo forward agreed to a four-year, $53 million deal at the start of free agency earlier this week and is one of the more notable roster-changing moves to have taken place so far this summer.

Lakers insider Anthony Irwin claimed on his The Lakers Lounge podcast that Los Angeles general manager Rob Pelinka took unusual steps to devalue wing Dorian Finney‑Smith during free agency negotiations.

Irwin said, “The word out there is that Rob Pelinka was going out there and talking to teams about Dorian’s knee to try to tank Dorian’s free agency value and the offers that could potentially come in.” He added, “Word is that got back to Dorian and his camp.” 

Irwin then clarified on X, saying that the injury he referenced was actually an ankle issue, not a knee issue, explaining, “he misspoke.”

Finney‑Smith did indeed have left ankle surgery earlier this month.

If Irwin’s claim was true, it obviously wouldn’t be a great look for the Lakers because Pelinka’s reported efforts to warn other teams of Dorian’s health would not have had their desired affect.

Additionally, it didn’t work as Finney‑Smith opted out of his $15.4 million Lakers player option and landed the aforementioned lucrative four-year pact in Houston.

A reliable 3-and-D forward, Finney-Smith played with the Nets and then went to the Lakers in the 2024–25.

He averaged 7.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists over 43 games with the Lakers, connecting on 39.8 percent of his 3-pointers.

He brought playoff experience and versatility, along with natural chemistry with Luka Doncic, with whom he played with in Dallas for five seasons.

To fill the void left by Finney‑Smith’s departure, the Lakers promptly signed Jake LaRavia to a two-year, $12 million contract, using their taxpayer mid-level exception.

LaRavia posted 6.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game across 66 appearances with Memphis and Sacramento in 2024–25.