Lakers Trade D’Angelo Russell to Nets for Dorian Finney-Smith

D’Angelo Russell (left) speaking at Variety Sports Entertainment Summit in July 2017
D’Angelo Russell (left) speaking at Variety Sports Entertainment Summit in July 2017. Photo by Stewart Cook/Variety/Shutterstock (8960146hh)

The Los Angeles Lakers have once again traded point guard D’Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets. The Lakers announced on Sunday that they are sending Russell and second-year forward Maxwell Lewis to the Nets in exchange for forward Dorian Finney-Smith and guard Shake Milton.

As part of the trade, the Lakers will also send three second-round picks to Brooklyn.

The Lakers traded Russell to the Nets for the first time in 2017. Back then, he was a potential star whom the LA team used as a sweetener to get out of Timofey Mozgov’s deal and clear the cap space for the future pursuit of LeBron James.

This time around, the Nets are taking Russell because he is on an expiring contract, earning $18.7 million this season. By letting him walk in the summer, Brooklyn’s cap space will soar to $60 million.

Russell began the season as the Lakers’ starter but quickly lost place due to the reshuffling of the starting lineup amid the team’s prolonged slump. He is currently averaging a career-low 12.4 points per game to go with 2.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists.

In Finney-Smith, the Lakers get a quality player who can defend multiple positions while also being a threat from the three-point line. In 2024-25, Finney-Smith has averages of 10.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.6 assists, while 43.5% from behind the arc.

“With this trade, we are thrilled to add the physicality, toughness, and elite shooting that Dorian Finney-Smith will bring to our core,” Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said in a statement. “We also greatly value the playmaking of Shake Milton. We are excited for our fans to get both of these players out on the court.”