The Los Angeles Lakers balanced out their once-flawed roster with the big move they made Sunday, December 29, following their fifth win in their last six games.
They traded the expiring salary of D’Angelo Russell, seldom-used Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks (2027, 2030 and 2021) to acquire versatile 3-and-D wing Dorian Finney-Smith and point guard Shake Milton.
After the trade, the Lakers’ depth chart looks like this when everyone is healthy:
| PG | Austin Reaves | Gabe Vincent | Shake Milton |
| SG | Max Christie | Dalton Knecht | Gabe Vincent |
| SF | Rui Hachimura | Jarred Vanderbilt | Cam Reddish |
| PF | LeBron James | Dorian Finney-Smith | Rui Hachimura |
| C | Anthony Davis | Jaxson Hayes | Christian Wood/Christian Koloko |
Lakers rookie coach JJ Redick now has the defensive versatility on this updated Lakers roster. He can toggle between Rui Hachimura and Finney-Smith at the wings. Both have size and are shooting exceptionally well from the 3-point line this season.
The 6-foot-8 Hachimura is knocking down a career-high 45.2% of his 3-pointers this season, making 1.6 per game. The 6-foot-7 Finney-Smith is also on pace for a career year, hitting at a 43.5% clip as he’s sinking 2.4 3s per game.
Finney-Smith is the better defender between the two big wings. So, their playing time will likely depend on the matchups.
Finney-Smith also gives the Lakers insurance at the wings as they try to manage LeBron James‘ load at 40.
Once Jarred Vanderbilt returns from his foot injury, he and Finney-Smith could make a smothering combo on the defensive end without compromising spacing.
Lakers Hand Backcourt Key to Austin Reaves
D’Angelo Russell’s exit solidified Austin Reaves‘ status as the Lakers’ premier playmaker in their backcourt.
Reaves is now undoubtedly the Lakers’ third-best player behind James and Anthony Davis. He once again showed his mettle in the Lakers’ latest win — a 132-122 shellacking of the disjointed Sacramento Kings, who just fired 2023 NBA Coach of the Year Mike Brown on Saturday, December 28, some 12 hours before shipping away Russell.
Reaves scored 26 points on an efficient 9-of-16 shooting, including 3-for-4 from the 3-point line. But what stood out was his playmaking chops as he dished a career-high 16 assists, his second straight game with double-digit dimes. Over his last two games, Reaves had 26 assists.
“Austin is vital to us being able to touch the paint,” Redick told reporters, praising his starting point guard. “He was big time tonight.”
Despite Redick’s high praise on his career game, Reaves is far from satisfied.
“I just thought it was sticking within our system,” Reaves told Lakers sideline reporter Mike Trudell. “I had some dumb turnovers. And to be honest, I didn’t play very well in the fourth quarter, but a win’s a win, and that’s all that matters in this league.”
Reaves committed a game-high five turnovers but also played the most minutes with close to 43 on the night they missed James due to illness.
Gabe Vincent Hurt
The trade also gave the Lakers insurance at point guard despite losing Russell and Gabe Vincent‘s latest injury by acquiring Milton in addition to Finney-Smith.
Vincent was ruled out in the second half against the Kings with an oblique strain.
“All I know is that there seems to be some sort of oblique issue from the hit from [Domantas] Sabonis,” Redick told reporters after the game. “And there’s no real update or timeline to give you until he gets further evaluated.”
The 6-foot-5 Milton is a serviceable backup point guard who is averaging 7.4 points on 38.9% 3-point shooting and 2.4 assists this season.
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