Dorian Finney Smith spoke about not returning to La Lakers and how Luka Donsic felt about her departure for the Houston Rockets.
The Los Angeles Lakers have come well to make a big signing this offseason. Rob Perinka has made his roster address some important weaknesses.
The Lakers landed Jay Claravia and DeAndre Ayton in free agency. Both players deal very well with Lakers Center and wing depth.
This weekend they took another big step. Because Luka Donsic helped recruit Marcus Smart to the Lakers after agreeing to an acquisition with the Washington Wizards.
But for all the profits the Lakers did, they faced one big loss in free agency. Dorian Finney Smith has signed a $53 million contract with the Houston Rockets.
Rob Perinka reportedly misleaded negotiations with Finney Smith, which reportedly led to his exit. And now the two-way wings speak about the nature of his exit and the aftermath.
Dorian Finney Smith appeared on sports rap and discussed his decision to leave La Lakers and sign with the Houston Rockets.
When discussing how Luka Doncic responded, Finney-Smith revealed that Luka had sent him an emotional message congratulating him on the big deal.
“He, you know, he won’t talk badly about anyone, and you know, he cares. He shot me a text like when I went to the rocket.
“I’m happy with you. I’m proud of you. I know you’re excited to be back with your children and family.” That kind of thing indicates he cares. ”
It is clear that Donsic and Finney Smith share a close relationship, especially from their days with the Dallas Mavericks. But the two also wanted to continue their time together with the Lakers.
Dorian Finney Smith also spoke about why he left La Lakers. He admitted he wanted to end his career there, but gave an ambiguous response to the failed negotiations.
Finney Smith also explained how excited he was when Luka Donsic joined the Lakers, and how the Mavericks tried to support him when they spread negative reports about Donsic.
“Yeah, man. I was so happy, man. I honestly thought I would finish my career with Luka, but like I said, things happened.
“We were excited, you were happy to get him back. And everything that happened was the whole emotional thing, the bad stories about his weight, and that’s all, you knew who he was as a person.”
The two stars had a bond built several years ago. And while they may not be teammates anymore, they remain friends from the court.