New Laker Dorian Finney-Smith excited to try to win with LeBron instead of guarding him

The things that the Lakers and LeBron James are going to like best about Dorian Finney-Smith are the things that have kept Finney-Smith from appreciating his battles against the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.

“This is probably the most I ever said something to him. I’ve been guarding him for nine years, but I’m just not too friendly on the court,” Finney-Smith said Monday in Los Angeles.

Just because Finney-Smith is known for his toughness, his willingness to take on brutal defensive assignments, that doesn’t mean his first chat with James would be about the battles the Lakers would fight now that they’re teammates.

Instead, Finney-Smith saw an opportunity.

“I just have to pull that shade down and ask him ‘give me some of those shoes.’ I can finally ask for some of that gear,” Finney-Smith said. “We never know when he’s going to hang it up. It was fun to be able to ask him for something, knowing I ain’t got to compete against him tomorrow.

“… He said he got me. The hard part out the way. I asked. I broke the glass.”

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He’s got the gear, now he’s ready to play big-time games.

“I’m excited,” he said. “I’m back to playing some meaningful basketball. It’s been a while, but I’m excited.”

The Lakers broke the glass on their trade market Sunday, sending D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three future second-round picks to Brooklyn for Finney-Smith and guard Shake Milton.

Finney-Smith, 31, has played in 20 games this season and is averaging 10.4 points and 4.6 rebounds while attempting 5.4 threes per game and making 43.5% of them. Milton, 28, is averaging 7.4 points in 27 games for the Nets this season while making 38.9% of his three-point shots.

The two players attended — but didn’t participate in — the team’s practice Monday with the hopes of playing Tuesday against Cleveland, provided that all physicals are completed. The Lakers are also expected to get center Jaxson Hayes back from an extended absence because of an ankle injury. Lakers guard Gabe Vincent didn’t practice Monday and is questionable to play against the Cavaliers.

Lakers coach JJ Redick said he plans on using Finney-Smith as a backup for the time being, electing to keep Rui Hachimura in the starting five.

“I already talked to him about it. You know, we’re in a good spot with our starting group right now. So [Finney-Smith will] play and he’ll come off the bench,” Redick said. “And like I’ve told you guys several times, I want consistency with that group. But I’m not gonna be stubborn and locked into something if it’s not working. But it’s working right now, and Doe is a guy that can fit in very easily with any lineup and any sort of roster. He’s easy.

“He has a desire to win and compete and it doesn’t matter to him if he’s starting or coming off the bench.”

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Typically, in-season trades are a shock to any player’s system, but for Finney-Smith, he’s been in trade rumors for most of the last two years after Dallas included him in their deal to acquire Kyrie Irving from Brooklyn.

“You hear the noise. But I’m one of them guys, last year I got fed up. I was tired of hearing the noise. You start paying attention to it a little too much and you lose sight of where you’re at,” Finney-Smith said.

“And that’s what happened last year. I thought I was gonna get moved and I ended up staying in Brooklyn. So this year, I just wanted to be where my feet was at. And that was in Brooklyn. So I was just trying to — even though I’m human — you gonna think about it. But I just tried to stay where I was at and that’s in Brooklyn. So I knew the chance of me getting traded was high.

“So it didn’t matter where it was going to be at, I was gonna be ready to go because, again, I was already mentally prepared to get moved. But I’m happy I’m here. I’m not — I don’t wanna say that cause — but if you played for Brooklyn, you know what I mean. You don’t wanna be the little brother in the city. So I’m finally with the big bros.”

Finney-Smith and Milton, strangely enough, were both teammates of Redick’s during his time as a player.

“It gives you a lot of confidence because he knows what you can do so you ain’t got to go out there and try to do nothing you can’t,” Finney-Smith said. “So I just go out there and be me. Sometimes what I do, like you say, won’t show up in the stat sheet. But as long as we win, I’m happy. So that’s all I want to do here is win, bring good vibes, bring that winning mentality, and have fun doing it.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.