PORTSMOUTH, VA (WTKR) — 757 native Dorian Finney-Smith is the newest addition to the Houston Rockets, inking a four-year deal worth up to $53 million, according to ESPN.
Headed into his 10th year in the NBA, this contract will be the largest of his career. An official announcement is expected soon.
Finney-Smith started his career at I.C. Norcom High School in Portsmouth where he was a two-time regional player of the year alongside first-team all-state honors. His dominant high school national credibility earned him a five-star rating from 247Sports and ranked 18th in the 2011 recruiting class.
He started his collegiate career in-state at Virginia Tech, choosing the Hokies over Florida, Virginia, Wake Forrest, Maryland, and Old Dominion. He would make his biggest impact in the NCAA with the Florida Gators. During his junior and senior seasons with the Gators, he led the team in scoring and rebounding.
Despite this success, he would remain on the board throughout the 2016 NBA Draft. Finney-Smith was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Dallas Mavericks in 2016.
In his seven years with the club, he was a key role player on the wing. The former Greyhound played with a high tempo and consistently showed up in the playoffs. Finney-Smith was unfortunately absent for the Mavericks' previous Finals appearance, getting shipped off to Brooklyn in exchange for Kyrie Irving.
Finney-Smith improved his scoring with the Nets despite seeing less usage. He spent the remainder of the 2023-24 season with another familiar face from Hampton Roads, Cam Thomas. The Florida alum was on the move again in 2024, getting dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Now, Finney-Smith is coming off his most successful campaign from beyond the arc. He lit it up from three-point range on 41% shooting. He complemented that career-high with his brand of hard-nosed defense, playing a key role in the Lakers' third-seeded team.
He'll join the reigning second seed in the Western Conference in 2025-26. Alongside stars like Kevin Durant, Alpren Sengun and Amen Thompson, Finney-Smith is expected to play a key part on one of the NBA's most talented rosters.
