Two of the league’s highly coveted wings are reportedly on the Los Angeles Lakers’ trade radar this season.
Lakers reporter and insider Jovan Buha has identified both Brooklyn Nets forwards Cam Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith as two of the key few names to watch that the Lakers could pursue for a possible trade.
“Brooklyn is expected to make wings Cam Johnson ($22.5 million but with a likely cap hit of $27 million) and Dorian Finney-Smith ($14.9 million) available — and much sooner than the Feb. 6 deadline,” Buha wrote in his recent The Athletic piece. “Both have been tied to the Lakers for months. The Lakers have been interested in Finney-Smith for at least a couple of years.”
Johnson and Finney-Smith are both stuck in the league’s trade rumor mill considering the Brooklyn Nets’ current mediocre position and looming plans to execute a full-scale rebuild.
Johnson is averaging career highs in points (18.6), field goal rate (48.4%), three-point efficiency (43.3%), assists (3.0), and minutes (32.5) across 25 games this season. The 28-year-old has taken a bigger load offensively since the team pulled the Mikal Bridges trade this past offseason.
Meanwhile, the 31-year-old Finney-Smith is also averaging career numbers with 11.0 points in 47.6 percent shooting (45.0 percent from threes). The undrafted veteran has been a renowned Swiss army knife throughout the league with his ability to space the floor, defend all five positions, and do multiple dirty work.
In his present deal, Johnson will be paid over $20MM annually through 2026-27. As such, Finney-Smith offers a lighter financial obligation as he holds two more years in his contract with 2025-26 being a player option.
By acknowledging their zigzagging progress and to maximize on their remaining window with LeBron James, the Lakers are fully guaranteed to deliver a significant swing before the Feb. 6 trade deadline. L.A. holds tradeable assets from players and draft picks which they can utilize to get even better in preparation for a title hunt this season.
As such, both Johnson and Finney-Smith are truly intriguing names to look at for the Lakers due to their versatility and ability to shoot. But as it is, they have to pay the price just to acquire either one of them.
As the two are tallying solid numbers, the Nets will certainly capitalize on their value and squeeze everything they can get from a trade partner team. The market demand for a reliable wingman couldn’t get higher and Brooklyn is slated to obtain massive offers for the services of the duo.
Nevertheless, the Lakers can only be compelled to make the necessary moves that’ll provide them greater odds to compete and win it all.
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