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NBA Insiders: Rockets May Target Lakers' Wing As He Rejects $15.4 Million Player Option
NBA Insiders: Rockets May Target Lakers' Wing As He Rejects $15.4 Million Player Option originally appeared on Fadeaway World.
Following the first-round exit in the 2025 NBA Playoffs, the Lakers were anticipating a very active offseason amid contract negotiations, the NBA Draft, and free agency. They had two players who had to decide on their player options for the 2025-26 season this summer: LeBron James and Dorian Finney-Smith. James exercised his player option while Finney-Smith chose to reject it.
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While James was anticipated to pick up that player option since the end of their 2025 playoff run, Finney-Smith declining his player option is more surprising considering his close bond with teammate Luka Doncic. Considering that Finney-Smith's market value is approximately in the range of $15-20 million a year, there are various potential landing spots for him.
According to NBA Insiders Jake L Fischer and Marc Stein, the Houston Rockets are in the race to sign Dorian Finney-Smith. Free agency begins on the night of June 30th, when the Lakers can also enter negotiations with him for a potential extension.
"The Houston Rockets have emerged as a viable free agent landing spot for Dorian Finney-Smith, league sources tell @TheSteinLine and me, after the veteran declined his $15.4 million player option for 2025-26 with the Lakers today," wrote Fischer on X.
While Finney-Smith may have rejected his player option, a Lakers return is also possible, according to NBA insider Shams Charania.
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"Los Angeles Lakers forward Dorian Finney-Smith is declining his $15.4 million player option for the 2025-26 season and will enter free agency, sources tell ESPN. Multiple contending teams are expected to pursue Finney-Smith beginning Monday night, and a Lakers return is possible."
Dorian Finney-Smith is a versatile defender and a 3-and-D wing who shot 40.8% from range last season, including his time with the Nets. Since he got traded, he played 43 games for the Lakers in the regular season and averaged 39.8% shots made from deep on 4.8 attempts per game.
The Rockets recently traded away Dillon Brooks in their move for Kevin Durant. He was the best three-point shooter on the Rockets last season, especially among the high-volume shooters like Fred VanVleet and Jalen Green. He shot 39.4% from three-point range, while averaging 6.1 attempts per game. Only Jock Landale and Aaron Holiday had a better percentage than Brooks last season, but they averaged less than five attempts per game.
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Therefore, Finney-Smith fit into the role that Dillon Brooks played on the Rockets last season. With Durant, they have already improved their scoring efficiency, but they need defensive wings like Finney-Smith to provide that necessary depth off the bench. He is not expected to get a starter role on the Rockets if he does join the team, but it may be the only genuine title contender in the market for him, a good fit for him as well, in my opinion.
The Rockets could either sign him directly in free agency or offer draft assets and players in a sign-and-trade with the Lakers. It would be more likely in free agency directly, as the Rockets would prefer not to give any assets in order to get Dorian Finney-Smith on the roster.
Related: NBA Insider: LeBron James May Request Trade After Picking Up $52.6 Million Player Option
This story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jun 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
Masai Ujiri, Raptors Reportedly Part Ways After NBA Draft, Won NBA Title In 2019
Masai Ujiri is reportedly leaving his role as president and vice chairman of the Toronto Raptors after 12 years with the organization.
ESPN's Shams Charania reported Friday that Ujiri and Raptors ownership group Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment mutually agreed to part ways ahead of the final year of his contract in 2025-26.
Ujiri, 54, joined the Raptors as executive vice president and general manager in 2013. He went on to lead the franchise to its first and only NBA championship in 2019.
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Before joining the Raptors, Ujiri spent three seasons as general manager of the Denver Nuggets. Ujiri was the first African GM in the history of the four major North American sports leagues, and he was named NBA Executive of the Year in his final year with the Nuggets.
During his tenure in Toronto, the Raptors posted a record of 545-419 and reached the playoffs eight times in 12 seasons, including seven times in a row from 2014 to 2020.
The Raptors also won 50 or more games in five consecutive seasons from 2015-16 through 2019-20, which was an unprecedented run of success for the organization.
Ujiri will best be remembered as the executive who brought Kawhi Leonard and an NBA championship to Toronto.
In 2018, Ujiri made the risky decision to send DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl and a first-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs for Leonard, who was heading into the final year of his contract. That meant the Raptors would perhaps have only one chance to win a title. They made it count, as they took down the mighty Golden State Warriors 4-2 in the 2019 NBA Finals, and Leonard was named NBA MVP.
Leonard signed with the Los Angeles Clippers in free agency during the ensuing offseason, and the Raptors were never quite the same after that.
They did reach the playoffs in 2020 and 2021, but they won only a single series across those two appearances, and key contributors from the championship team such as Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet and Kyle Lowry eventually left the team via trade or free agency.
The Raptors have now gone three straight years without a playoff appearance, and they are coming off a 2024-25 season that saw them post a 30-52 record.
Much like the Leonard trade, the Raptors reportedly tried to pull off a similar coup this offseason. Charania reported that Toronto was among the teams pursuing a trade for superstar forward Kevin Durant before the Phoenix Suns dealt him to the Houston Rockets.
While the Durant deal didn't work out, a core of Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and Poeltl at least gives the Raptors some hope they can return to playoff contention in the Eastern Conference next season.
On Wednesday and Thursday, the Raptors added two promising rookies to the fold in No. 9 overall pick Collin Murray-Boyles and No. 39 overall pick Alijah Martin, marking Ujiri's final orders of business with the organization.
NBA free agency is set to start on Monday, and for the first time since 2013, someone other than Ujiri will be the Raptors' head decision-maker.
Heat, Clippers, Raptors, Wolves' Top Trade Options After Kevin Durant To Rockets
The Kevin Durant domino has now fallen after he was traded to the Houston Rockets on Sunday, per ESPN's Shams Charania, but plenty more teams could be in the running to make improvements this offseason.
Charania noted that the Phoenix Suns were "primarily focused" on trade talks with the Rockets, Miami Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves, but that "several other wild-card suitors" emerged as well, which included the Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers.
So one could surmise that the four teams that didn't complete a Durant trade will be actively pursuing upgrades this summer on the trade market. Let's break down some players they could potentially target.
Miami Heat 1 of 4One name that has already been kicked around regarding Miami is Sacramento's DeMar DeRozan, though there has been mixed reporting on the matter.
DeRozan, 35, would provide solid isolation scoring for the Heat (22.2 PPG last season) and wouldn't break the bank in the process (he's due to make $24.7 million next season and $25.7 million in 2026-27), though it's fair to question if his acquisition would raise Miami's ceiling beyond teams like the Indiana Pacers, Cavaliers, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic or even if the Philadelphia 76ers (if they can stay healthy).
Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis seem likely to be traded as part of Boston's payroll trimming this summer, and Holiday in particular would fit well within the ballyhooed Heat Culture. But a trade between Boston and Miami would just feel... Weird, given the strong rivalry they've stoked over recent years. And Holiday's age and contract ($32.4 million next year, $34.8 million in 2026-27) aren't ideal, while Porziņģis struggles to stay on the court.
As for bigger names who could be moved, the Heat don't have the assets to get into the potential Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes, so that's out of the question. Perhaps they could make a splash and pursue a player like Zion Williamson, though he wouldn't be the most natural frontcourt fit with Adebayo (and again, the Heat might simply get outbid in those talks given their lukewarm assets).
If Trae Young is put on the market, he certainly would bolster Miami's offense, though a defensive backcourt of Young and Herro wouldn't be pretty.
Most Intriguing: Williamson
Clippers 2 of 4The Clippers feel like a strong potential fit for Porziņģis, whose inside-out game would fit on offense next to center Ivica Zubac and whose shot-blocking would further upgrade them defensively.
The downside, of course, is pairing the injury-prone Porziņģis with the injury-prone Kawhi Leonard. Just ask the Sixers how that can backfire.
It's arguable whether either Holiday or DeRozan would really raise the team's ceiling all that much beyond what they currently have amongst their role players, while Williamson's injury history and fit might be a tough sell and Young wouldn't make much sense with Harden at point guard.
If Giannis becomes available, that's the top target, but whether he asks out—or desires a move to the Clippers—is unknown. The Clippers may also lack the assets to land him.
A name to watch is Cameron Johnson. The Clippers could offer a deal centered around Bogdan Bogdanovic, Drew Eubanks and significant draft capital to the Brooklyn Nets for Johnson, bolstering their scoring and floor spacing in the process.
It might not be the splashiest name on the list, but it would make a lot of sense.
Most Intriguing: Giannis if he asks out, Porziņģis otherwise
Raptors 3 of 4Giannis, Giannis, Giannis, Giannis, Giannis.
Whether this would happen, of course, is dependent on a number of factors outside of Toronto's control. But if Giannis does ask out—and if he is willing to play for the Raptors—they have the goods to land him and pair him with Scottie Barnes (and potentially Brandon Ingram).
Williamson would be another interesting name, though his fit and injury concerns might not be attractive to Toronto.
Beyond that, perhaps a a smaller move like landing Malik Monk would suffice, bolstering the team's depth. Monk provides shooting and scoring in a six-man role, and if the Raptors aren't going to land a big fish, they probably should take the patient approach.
Most Intriguing: Antetokounmpo
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Timberwolves 4 of 4It would be funny if Minnesota decided to break up the big-man duo of Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns, only to pivot to a worse big-man duo of Gobert and Porziņģis. Prepare your pointing Spider-Man memes, though that one feels unlikely.
What the Wolves really need is a reliable second scorer to take the pressure off Anthony Edwards, but to add one without losing a strong defensive identity. That makes an acquisition of a player like DeRozan somewhat unappealing, while Cam Johnson might not meaningfully move the needle enough.
Giannis is the dream if he becomes available, obviously—as we've mentioned with basically every team—though that might require moving off Gobert as well to avoid nuking the team's floor spacing.
Could the Wolves consider adding Jalen Green if the Suns reroute him following Sunday's trade? He'd fit the timeline of Edwards and he'd give the team a second scoring option behind him, though his inconsistencies and shot selection might cause some headaches.
But if they could land him and keep their strong defensive core in place, it could be an interesting, albeit surprising, move.
Most Realistic: Johnson or Green
Most Intriguing: Giannis (duh)
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