Finally! It was a quiet summer for Rob Pelinka as he made no significant moves except hiring JJ Redick as head coach. Sure enough, Laker Nation was not pleased with his failure to attract big names. Amid the criticism, however, Pelinka remained patient and stated that it would take him thirty games to assess the LA team’s needs. And keeping his word, the GM has finally made a big move following game number 31 and added sharpshooter Dorian Finney-Smith to the Lakers roster.

Along with Smith, the trade also brings guard Shake Milton to LA. Obviously, Rob Pelinka had to give up some valuable assets in exchange, which included D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis, and three future second-round picks. But it might all be worth it because the Lakers got a solid two-way player in return in the form of Finney-Smith, that too at a very reasonable price.

Yes, it was two years ago that Dorian inked a four-year $55.5 million contract extension with the Mavericks. However, he got traded to the Nets before he could even complete a year of his new deal in Dallas. He has spent the first two years of his deal in Brooklyn. And the remaining two years, he will be on the Lakers’ payroll following the blockbuster trade. This season, Finney-Smith will rake in $14.9 million in salary and the hoopster has a $15.3 million player option for his final year.

What are Dorian Finney-Smith’s career earnings and his Lakers salary?

When Dorian went undrafted out of the University of Florida eight years ago, not many would have imagined the successful career he’d go on to have in the NBA. The continuous chip on his shoulder because of going undrafted motivated Smith to work harder and defy the odds. Well, he spent his career’s first seven years playing for the Mavs and solidified himself as a valuable piece on the team.

That’s why DFS’s market value has increased exponentially since joining the league. As of now, he has made over $56.9 million in career earnings! And that number is only going to increase with the way his career is progressing. Even this season, he upped his game and significantly increased his averages from last year to 10.4 points and nearly 5 rebounds. The forward is shooting a career-high 43.5% from deep range, which might be one of the key reasons Pelinka was interested in acquiring him.

Of course, the Lakers have a high success rate when LeBron James and Anthony Davis are surrounded by elite perimeter shooters. So, Dorian Finney-Smith seems like the perfect addition.

If Dorian Finney-Smith lives up to the expectations and helps the Lakers make a run for the title, Rob Pelinka will not hesitate to offer him a worthy extension next summer. That’s exactly what the GM did with Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell, and Jarred Vanderbilt following their run to the West Finals last year. That would mean more career earnings for Smith.

Rob Pelinka “thrilled” to add Finney-Smith while old Redick audio resurfaces

Although D’Lo had been in the trade rumors for a long time, losing him was a big blow for the team. After all, he gave Laker Nation some memorable moments during his second stint in LA. Sure enough, Pelinka expressed his gratitude toward the star guard in his statement, “We want to thank D’Angelo for his second stint with us, where we celebrated some great moments and accomplishments on the court together. We want to wish him and Maxwell Lewis well in their future endeavors with the Brooklyn Nets.”

Then, the GM proceeded to highlight how ecstatic he was after bringing in Dorian and Milton to the squad, “With this trade, we are thrilled to add the physicality, toughness and elite shooting that Dorian Finney-Smith will bring to our core. We also greatly value the playmaking of Shake Milton. We are excited for our fans to get both of these players out on the court.” If Smith continues to play the way he has been playing in Brooklyn, the Lakers will surely benefit from his shooting ability and elite defense.

DFS is expected to have great chemistry with JJ Redick because the two were teammates in Dallas for a brief period!

JJ’s high praise for Doe-Doe in an old episode of his pod has gone viral now- “The one guy I gotta shoutout because I love watching him play and I’ve played against him now for a few years and he does so many things that just don’t show up in the box score and that’s Dorian Finney-Smith, as he’s affectionately known as ‘Doe-Doe.’ Doe-Doe, he’s just an awesome player. He’s a player that can fit on any team in the NBA. I think he’s incredibly valuable. Great defender, hustles, makes all the plays,” Redick had said.

Well, it looks like he is exactly the kind of player JJ Redick needs, someone who is competitive and willing to give maximum effort for the betterment of the side. Do you think Pelinka made the right move by adding Dorian Finney-Smith in exchange for D’Lo? What would you have done?