Lakers' Dorian Finney-Smith Hints at Plans for His Player Option This Summer

The Los Angeles Lakers have title aspirations with a little over a month before the start of the playoff. If all pans out for the Lakers, they will finish the season as one of the top six seeds in the Western Conference.

If healthy, the Lakers have as good a shot as anyone to make a deep playoff run and possibly represent the West in the NBA Finals. That's the goal this season. Still, it's never too early to talk about the summer and possible changes to the team.

Priority No.1 for the Lakes will be to sign Luka Dončić long-term. Dončić is eligible for a four-year, $229 million extension this summer, and the team hopes he will sign to remain a Laker long-term.

After that, the Lakers could consider locking up forward Dorian Finney-Smith for the long term. Finney-Smith has a player option at the end of the season, and it is unclear if he will opt-in or opt-out. It will depend on how he finishes the season and whether he can produce for L.A. in the playoffs. All that will depend on his play.

As things stand, it's unclear what he will do. Finney-Smith tackled the topic head-on with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. The 31-year-old was blunt in his response.

“You see what just happened with Luka (Doncic)? So, you’ve got to make sure you take care of yourself first,” Finney-Smith said. “We need to finish the season strong. If we win, everybody eats.”

Finney-Smith has been vital for the Lakers on both sides of the ball, especially on the defensive end. He's brought toughness and physicality to the team, which they lacked for some time. Although it took some time to adjust, Finney-Smith and the Lakers have been outstanding more times than not when he's on the court.

The 31-year-old was traded to the Lakers on Dec. 29 along with Shake Milton. The Lakers traded guard D'Angelo Russell in the process, and while they lacked offense at the start, the trade-off has paid dividends.

Since Finney-Smith's first game to now, the Lakers have are tied for sixth in defensive rating at 111.4. Before that, the Lakers were 21st in that category, with a 114.9 defensive rating.

Finney-Smith and JJ Redick's coaching staff's scheme has made a world of difference. Still, the veteran forward has been a difference maker, and L.A. could go all-in for Finney-Smith this summer.

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