The Houston Rockets have a Kevin Durant problem. They also have a Dorian Finney-Smith problem. And the solution to the first one might start with getting rid of the second.
After a six-game first-round playoff loss to the Lakers, it’s clear the Rockets need more than just Durant and a prayer. They need depth. They need shooting. They need guys who can actually stay on the court and contribute. Finney-Smith, who signed a four-year, $53 million deal last summer, gave them none of that in his debut season. Ankle surgery before the season turned into a rehab that dragged on. Even after he was cleared, he never looked right. Limited mobility. Shaky outside shooting. By the end of the year, he was averaging just 3.3 points and 2.5 rebounds while shooting 27 percent from three.
That’s not what you paid for. That’s not what you need next to KD.
According to William Guillory of The Athletic, Finney-Smith is the name that keeps coming up when people around the league talk about potential Rockets trades. Guillory specifically called him the most likely to be moved this offseason. Clint Capela was also mentioned as a candidate, but Finney-Smith’s contract and his brutal year make him the easier guy to package.
Why the Rockets Need to Move Him Now
Finney-Smith is 33 years old. He played just 37 games last season. It was the worst year of his career by basically every metric. The Rockets are essentially looking at a salary dump that could also bring back draft capital. Clear the books, free up space, then go find real help for Durant. That’s the play.
Guillory laid it out pretty plainly: Finney-Smith struggled in his first year in Houston but could still return value on the trade market. Even if the return is just a second-round pick and some expiring money, that’s better than watching a $53 million guy rot on the bench or shoot you out of games.
The Rockets front office hasn’t confirmed anything publicly, but the logic is hard to argue with. You don’t pay a role player that kind of money to be a non-factor. And in a conference loaded with teams like the Thunder, Nuggets, and Timberwolves, Houston can’t afford to carry dead weight.
It’s not like Finney-Smith is a lost cause. He was a solid defender and a respectable shooter for years in Dallas and Brooklyn. The ankle issue might have just cost him a season. But the Rockets don’t have time to wait and find out. Durant is 36. The championship window is now or never.
So the question isn’t whether Finney-Smith gets traded. It’s what comes back in return. A young shooter? A backup big? Another pick to use in a bigger deal later? Either way, his name is going to pop up in every rumor until something happens.
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