On December 30th, Beijing time, the Lakers and the Nets completed a 5-for-2 trade. The Lakers acquired Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton; the Nets received D'Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis, and three second-round picks (2027, 2030, 2031, all from the Lakers). This is the second time Russell has been traded by the Lakers to the Nets, having previously been traded in 2017. The Athletic's ratings are as follows:
Lakers Trade Rating: A-
The 28-year-old Russell did not fully utilize his abilities during his second stint with the Lakers. He is not a bad player, but he was inconsistent in how he played alongside James and Davis. We often saw James frustrated with Russell, and new coach Redick also had moments of frustration with him. Now the Lakers no longer have to worry about Russell.
The 31-year-old Finney-Smith is an excellent wing defender who has become a reliable three-point shooter. In his last three full seasons with the Mavericks, Finney-Smith shot 38.9% from three-point range, averaging nearly 5 attempts per game. After being sent to the Nets as part of the Irving trade in February 2023, we saw him struggle at times, but Finney-Smith has regained his shooting form this year, averaging 5.4 three-point attempts with a 43.5% three-point shooting rate. If he can bring such performances to the Lakers, along with his relentless defensive efforts on the perimeter, it's not hard to understand why Pelinka was determined to acquire him.
Redick is deploying some big lineups. The Lakers might start with James, Reeves, Finney-Smith, Hachimura, and Davis. They will have enough size to defend the perimeter. They need Vincent to be a healthy and reliable backup guard, but they also have Knickert, Christie, and Reddish to increase their perimeter height. This trade did not bring another star to the Lakers, but perhaps they feel they still have the ability to make such trades in the future because they retained their future first-round picks.
Milton may add some playing time as a backup guard, but unless Vincent and other players are absent or struggling, he may not make it into the rotation.
Nets Trade Rating: C+
The Nets originally hoped to exchange Finney-Smith for a first-round pick, but they ended up with three second-round picks. It's possible that other teams set too strict protections on their first-round offers, but trading away Finney-Smith five weeks before the trade deadline may have been hasty for the Nets.
Russell may not fit into their short-term or long-term plans at all. The Nets recently fell out of the top ten in the East, and they are beginning to accept their fate this season while vying for Fleg and other top rookies in the upcoming draft. A few weeks ago, they traded Schroder to the Warriors, and we may see them part ways with Cameron Johnson before the trade deadline. Russell participated in his only All-Star appearance as a Net in 2019, but his current state does not match that of the past. If the Nets cannot trade Russell again before the trade deadline, they may release him.
Lewis could be an interesting addition to the Nets' young player lineup. In college, Lewis was a scorer and a decent shooter. He is only 22 years old, but so far, his shooting percentage in the G League has not been high.
What can these second-round picks bring to Brooklyn? Perhaps they can help the Nets improve some subsequent trade plans, or they might find a reliable role player.
The Athletic believes that the Nets basically achieved nothing in this trade, except for getting rid of a player who could potentially help them win more games.