Lakers Offseason Rumors: Luka Doncic’s close friend could be forced to decline $15.4M option

Luka Doncic's close friend, Dorian Finney-Smith's free agency is among the many decisions the Lakers must work on in the 2025 offseason. Finney-Smith has been one of Doncic's favored teammates since their time in Dallas. The defensive stalwart has a $15.4 million player option in free agency.

Finney-Smith arrived before Doncic in December from Brooklyn and immediately raised the team's ceiling. Even if the Doncic trade didn't happen, the Lakers had enough incentive to retain him, more than just to keep their new superstar happy.

However, a $15.4 million contract will be heavy on the team's salary cap, especially with LA looking to create a non-taxpayer midlevel exception to sign a starting center or make other significant moves.

NBA insider John Hollinger has a way out for the Lakers with Finney-Smith's new contract. In his latest dispatch for The Athletic, Hollinger pitched an idea that many teams could follow with their high-end role players.

"This little trick is likely to come up in the case of several teams dancing the first-apron tightrope, most notably with the Lakers and Dorian Finney-Smith." Hollinger wrote.

He explained the proposal, saying:

"The idea is that LA can get Finney-Smith to decline his player option for $15.4 million for 2025-26 in return for re-signing on a longer deal for less money. The risk of overpaying on the back end of the deal (Finney-Smith turns 32 this summer) is offset by managing the immediate tax situation by shaving a few million off his 2025-26 cap number."

Finney-Smith would become a free agent this summer, allowing the Lakers to renegotiate a new deal, potentially with a pay cut for the 2025-26 season. To convince Finney-Smith of this, LA would have to offer him a long-term deal spread over multiple years. It would help him make just as much money as he would have on a shorter yet annually expensive contract.

Downside of Lakers extending Luka Doncic's favored teammate Dorian Finney-Smith in the long run

Re-signing Dorian Finney-Smith should be the Lakers' priority. Since his arrival, the Lakers are 22-9 in the 31 games he's played. Finney-Smith has the highest net rating (+13.2) and the second highest +/- (+7.2) behind Luka Doncic.

However, the veteran turns 32 in May. Despite his intangibles and impact, offering him a long-term deal is among the major downsides for the Lakers. He might be a useful contributor for a reason or two, but beyond that, it could get difficult to move him, especially if he's on a reasonable deal.