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Shams Charania, Senior NBA Insider
The Los Angeles Lakers have agreed to trade D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton, sources told ESPN on Sunday.
Russell, the second overall pick in the 2015 draft, is averaging 12.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 26.3 minutes per game this season. The 28-year-old point guard returns to the Nets, where he played for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons, when he earned his only All-Star selection.
The move gives the Lakers a versatile, 3-and-D player in Finney-Smith, 31, who is averaging 10.4 points and 4.6 rebounds this season for the Nets, with whom he’s played since arriving in the Kyrie Irving trade from the Dallas Mavericks in February 2023.
Finney-Smith is shooting a career-high 44% from 3-point land this season and is known as a high-level wing defender.
Finney-Smith is the only player in the NBA this season to defend guards, forwards and centers each for at least 15 halfcourt matchups per game, according to Second Spectrum. He is on pace to average at least 10 points in a season for the second time in his career.
Lakers coach JJ Redick has preached positional versatility and toughness in his roster — attributes the franchise’s new addition should help with. Los Angeles also creates salary and luxury tax flexibility, saving a total $15 million and moving $3.5 million below the second apron. Finney-Smith has a $15.4 million player option for next season.
The Nets acquire draft capital and cleaner salaries moving forward, including Russell’s expiring deal. Brooklyn now has 31 draft picks in the next seven years — 15 first-rounders and 16 second-rounders — to go along with over $60 million in cap space in the offseason.
Earlier this month, the Nets traded Dennis Schroder to the Golden State Warriors for three second-round picks.
Lewis, a 22-year-old forward taken in the second round of the 2023 draft, has seen action in seven games this season, averaging 4.1 minutes.
Milton, 28, was averaging 7.4 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists in his first season with the Nets.