Lakers forward Dorian Finney-Smith reportedly had surgery to address left ankle ailments, but he is expected to participate when training camp starts in the fall.
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported on Thursday that Finney-Smith underwent the procedure that will allow him to play “pain-free” after having lingering left ankle ailments.
Finney-Smith, 31, was initially on a minutes restriction after joining the Lakers because of the left ankle after the team acquired him and Shake Milton from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three second-round draft picks in the Dec. 29 trade.
While with the Nets, Finney-Smith sat out four games in late November and early December because of a sprained left ankle. He also missed time before being traded because of a left calf contusion, which he said at the time was related.
Finney-Smith was sidelined for five regular-season games with the Lakers because of the left ankle, according to the team’s injury reports.
Despite being plagued with left ankle ailments, Finney-Smith played a significant role in the Lakers’ 50-win regular season and the team securing the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference standings before being knocked out of the playoffs in the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Lakers went 29-14 in the 43 games Finney-Smith played, including 14-6 as a starter. Finney-Smith’s plus/minus of plus-6.2 was the Lakers’ second-best mark behind Luka Doncic (plus-6.3).
Finney-Smith averaged 7.9 points on 44.2% shooting – 39.8% from 3-point range – and 3.6 rebounds in 28.8 minutes during the regular season, with his playing time increasing to 34 minutes per game during the playoffs.
He has a $15.4 million player option for the 2025-26 season as part of the four-year, $55.6 million contract extension he signed with the Dallas Mavericks in February 2022 before being traded to the Nets the next year.
Finney-Smith has until June 29 to decide on the option.
He has also been eligible for a contract extension since mid-February and will remain eligible for an extension before free agency begins June 30.
