Lakers acquire Dorian Finney-Smith and Maxi Kleber in trade, reuniting Luka Doncic with teammates from his past. In a stunning move, the Dallas Mavericks traded star point guard Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night. The news sent shockwaves through the NBA community, as Doncic was dealt along with Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris in exchange for pieces from the Lakers’ roster.
Finney-Smith, who was dealt to Brooklyn last season, was reunited with his former Dallas teammate Doncic, but was left feeling disappointed by the circumstances. “I feel like he deserved that money,” Finney-Smith said of Doncic’s impending supermax extension. “He changed the organization around.”
Doncic’s departure from Dallas has significant implications for the team and its future prospects. The trade makes Doncic ineligible for a $345 million supermax extension, which was within his reach prior to the trade.
Finney-Smith and fellow former teammate Maxi Kleber expressed their disappointment at the criticism of Doncic’s conditioning and defense being used as reasons for trading him. “I don’t know if a guy like Luka needs extra motivation because I’ve seen him work,” Kleber said. However, Finney-Smith seemed more focused on his own emotions regarding Doncic’s new team. “That’s gonna put some fuel in him… I’m excited I ain’t got to guard him no more.”
Source: https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/mavericks/2025/02/04/luka-doncic-dorian-finney-smith-reunion-los-angeles-lakers-dallas-mavericks-maxi-kleber-supermax