For Laker Nation, the Los Angeles Lakers usually do either one of two things: They make a trade that looks good on paper but drives them nuts for the coming seasons or the Lakers simply stay put and watch as teams beef up their rosters.
This time, Los Angeles did neither nor did they wait for the new year before making a trade.
The Lakers ended D’Angelo Russel’s second stint in Los Angeles by giving him another stint with the Brooklyn Nets along with Maxwell Lewis and some second round picks. In exchange, the Nets sent Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton to the Lakers.
Finney-Smith was easily the centerpiece of this deal largely due to his two-way abilities. For his career, Finney-Smith has made 35.9 percent of his 3-point attempts, but his 43.5 3-point shooting percentage this season is a career-high and something that will come in handy with the open looks Anthony Davis and LeBron James will generate. Defensively, the 31-year old can guard multiple positions and gives Los Angeles a wing defender that won’t become an offensive black hole.

Meanwhile, Milton provides depth in the backcourt that will see even minutes with the departure of Russel. He’s capable of heating up, but an injury to the other Laker backcourt players could reveal his true value.
Looking at the bigger picture, Los Angeles should be happy that they did not give up anything critical to their current strategy. With all due respect to Russel, he was moved to the bench and saw his minutes and touches diminishing. The Lakers are also typically great at picking in the second round of the NBA Draft, but it’s not much of a concern when they can always buy themselves back into the second round.
It’s anybody’s guess whether or not Los Angeles is done making deals until the February 6 trade deadline, but rather than playing with their food, it’s safe to say that the Lakers have addressed some needs. Any additional moves may require assets that may be more difficult to part with such as first-round picks and players like Rui Hachimura, who has been one of Los Angeles’ best frontcourt players. It definitely gives management some cause for pause, but the right trade partner or a free agent may come along.
The frontcourt will most likely be the area that will be addressed next, but the Lakers can opt to wait for Jaxson Hayes, Christian Wood, and the perpetually injured Jarred Vanderbilt to return. However, time is of the essence, especially in the tightly-contested Western Conference.
Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton won’t necessarily vault the Los Angeles Lakers into title contenders, but it definitely puts them in a better position to make a run until May and perhaps, if things work out, until June. The Lakers front office may be done being patient and they are capable of coming up with savvy decisions, so long as external forces don’t meddle with them.
