Dorian Finney-Smith’s path back to the Lakers looks blocked before it even starts.
After a rough 2025-26 season with the Houston Rockets, where injuries limited him to 37 games and his production fell off sharply, Finney-Smith was sent to the Charlotte Hornets on July 6 as Houston looked to move his salary. Charlotte has already signaled it will likely waive him, which naturally set off speculation about a possible Lakers reunion.
But that chatter was quickly cooled by NBA reporter Jovan Buhas on a recent episode of his podcast.
“I think the ship has sailed with DFS and the Lakers organization,” Buhas said. “I think there was some real bad blood last summer, with how the entire situation was handled, in terms of some of the intel that leaked out, and some things with DFS’s health and injury track record.
“I will be pretty surprised if he and his team are willing to look past that.”
The Lakers’ interest makes sense on paper. Finney-Smith was a useful piece in Los Angeles during the 2024-25 season, putting up 7.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists while shooting 44.2% from the field and 39.8% from deep. His perimeter defense also filled a real need for the Lakers, who finished 50-32.
That season ended with a first-round playoff loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games, and the front office came away knowing the roster needed a reset.
The split between Finney-Smith and the Lakers started in the offseason, when he declined his $15.4 million player option and entered free agency. He believed the Lakers would meet his asking price of a four-year, $53 million deal. They didn’t.
Instead, Los Angeles put forward a two-year, $25 million offer, which Finney-Smith viewed as a lowball. He took the same four-year, $53 million contract from Houston, a move that left the Lakers thinner on the perimeter.
Now the Rockets’ decision looks questionable in hindsight, and Finney-Smith is expected to draw interest if he becomes available again. The Lakers could be among the teams that check in, especially after losing several core players this offseason.
Still, a reunion appears unlikely. The one path that could bring him back would be a chance to play with Luka Doncic, his former teammate and friend. Even then, the sense around this situation is clear: don’t bet on Finney-Smith returning to Los Angeles.
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