Trade season is nearly upon us, and for the Brooklyn Nets, that means deciding on the futures of several key veterans. Among those names are Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O'Neale, two players who should draw interest from numerous contenders ahead of the trade deadline.
The Los Angeles Lakers are on that list, according to The Athletic's Jovan Buha.
“Those are two guys the Lakers have had interest in dating back to last offseason and even last trade deadline. I know that those are two guys they would have interest in bringing in,” Buha said on the Hoops Tonight podcast with Jason Timpf.
Lakers interested in Nets' Finney-Smith, O'Neale
Both players are having career-best starts in their second season with the Nets. Finney-Smith is averaging 10.5 points and 5.0 rebounds while shooting a career-best 44.8 percent from three on a career-high 5.5 attempts per game. The eight-year veteran ranks third in the NBA in three-point percentage among 70 players to attempt 140 threes this season.
Dorian Finney-Smith dropped the DAGGER on the Pistons 🗡️pic.twitter.com/iAqCHnT0iq
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 27, 2023
O'Neale has seen a minutes reduction (26.2 per game) amid a move to the bench but has posted career-highs in points, rebounds, assists and blocks per 36 minutes. The 30-year-old is averaging 7.8 points and 4.7 rebounds while shooting a career-best 38.9 percent from three on a career-high 5.5 attempts per game. He's also continued his emergence as a high-level secondary playmaker, averaging 3.2 assists per game.
Royce O'Neale continues to be a highly underrated secondary playmaker.
He's averaging a career-high 4.4 assists per 36 minutes this season. pic.twitter.com/2uhAf7f9h0
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) December 27, 2023
Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O'Neale battling on the offensive boards to keep the possession alive.
That pairing has been instant energy off the bench tonight. pic.twitter.com/DiXj1RDJmU
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) December 23, 2023
Several league executives have expected Brooklyn to trade at least one of the veteran wings since the team overhauled its roster at last year's deadline by trading Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Finney-Smith is under contract for $14.4 million next season before a $15.4 million player option in 2025-26, while O'Neale is an unrestricted free agent this summer.
While the Nets have spoken highly of O'Neale since acquiring him in the 2022 offseason, they will also have decisions on unrestricted free agents Nic Claxton, Spencer Dinwiddie and Lonnie Walker IV this summer.
Brooklyn has an incentive to stay out of the luxury tax next season due to a CBA clause known as the repeater tax. Teams exceeding the luxury tax line three times in four years are taxed $2.50 per every dollar over the line. That figure increases to $2.75, $3.50 and $4.25 for every additional $5 million. Dodging the tax in 2024-25 would ensure the Nets are not subject to the repeater tax until at least 2028.
With $116.6 million already committed to eight players next season and the luxury tax set for $172 million, avoiding the tax would likely require Brooklyn to part ways with one or more of O'Neale, Claxton, Dinwiddie and Walker IV.
The Lakers have only their 2029 first-round pick to offer in a trade this season. Los Angeles could also include 2023 first-round pick Jalen Hood-Schifino or 2022 second-round pick Max Christie in a package with salary fillers.
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