Report: Lakers send Russell, Lewis, three picks to Nets for Finney-Smith, Milton
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The Los Angeles Lakers have agreed to trade D'Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton, sources told ESPN on Sunday.
The Lakers are sending their own second-round picks in 2027, 2030 and 2031 to the Nets, sources told ESPN.
Russell, the second overall pick in the 2015 draft, is averaging 12.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 26.3 minutes per game this season. The 28-year-old point guard returns to the Nets, where he played for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons, when he earned his only All-Star selection.
The move gives the Lakers a versatile 3-and-D player in Finney-Smith. The 31-year-old averaged 10.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game this season for the Nets, with whom he's played since arriving in the Kyrie Irving trade from the Dallas Mavericks in February 2023.
Finney-Smith is shooting a career-high 43.5% from 3 this season and is known as a high-level wing defender.
Finney-Smith is the only player in the NBA this season to defend guards, forwards and centers each for at least 15 half-court matchups per game, according to Second Spectrum. He is on pace to average at least 10 points in a season for the second time in his career.
Lakers coach JJ Redick has preached positional versatility and toughness in his roster -- attributes the franchise's new addition should help with. Los Angeles also creates salary and luxury tax flexibility, saving a total of $15 million and moving $3.5 million below the second apron. Finney-Smith has a $15.4 million player option for next season.
The Nets acquire draft capital and cleaner salaries moving forward, including Russell's expiring deal. Brooklyn now has 31 draft picks in the next seven years -- 15 first-rounders and 16 second-rounders -- to go along with over $60 million in cap space in the offseason.
Earlier this month, the Nets traded Dennis Schroder to the Golden State Warriors for three second-round picks.
Russell started the first eight games of the season for the Lakers until Redick changed the starting lineup after his team lost four out of five games. Despite the bench role, Russell's production had been on the uptick. His 13 points per game on 43.2% shooting from the field and 38.6% on 3-pointers in December was better than November (12.5 ppg on 41.7%/32.5%) and October (10.8 ppg on 36.7%/25.0%).
Russell, despite being linked to trade discussions last February, was coming off a strong season in which he averaged 18.0 points on 45.6% shooting and 41.5% from 3 while setting a Lakers franchise record for 3-pointers in a season with 226.
When he greeted reporters during the Lakers annual media day in September, he said, "surprise, surprise" -- acknowledging a somewhat unexpected turn of events for him to pick up his $18.7 million player option to return to L.A. after all the trade talks and another spotty postseason performance.
Lewis, a 22-year-old forward taken in the second round of the 2023 draft, has seen action in seven games this season, averaging 4.1 minutes.
Milton, 28, was averaging 7.4 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game in his first season with the Nets. He is owed $3 million next season and $3.3 million in 2026-27.