The Houston Rockets are in win-now mode after trading some of their young core as part of a multi-team deal that brought future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant to Space City.
The move to acquire Durant led to a slew of other deals to bolster the roster around the pieces that remain from last season's team, which secured the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference playoffs. One of the players to join the Rockets this summer as a free agent was former Los Angeles Lakers forward Dorian Finney-Smith, as he signed a four-year, $53 million deal.
The reaction among Lakers fans to the move was quite negative. However, interestingly enough, one of the first people to reach out to Finney-Smith was one of Los Angeles's biggest stars, and his message couldn't have been further from what Lakers fans had to say.
Finney-Smith Reveals Doncic's Heartwarming Message After FA Decision
Los Angeles desperately wanted to retain Finney-Smith, but could not match what the Rockets were willing to offer. That was enough, in the end, for the veteran forward to sign on with Houston, and the Lakers star was understanding and supportive of the decision.
“He cares,” Finney-Smith said, via Ben DuBose of Rockets Wire. “When I went to the Rockets, he shot me a text saying, ‘I’m happy for you. I’m proud of you. I know you’re excited to be back with your kids and family.’”
Finney-Smith's signing was one of the more widely discussed additions at the time, as the veteran is expected to play a major role in Houston head coach Ime Udoka's system. The opportunity to return to Texas, a place where he and his family made their home during his time with the Dallas Mavericks, certainly didn't hurt the Rockets' recruiting pitch either.
Given the time Finney-Smith and Doncic spent together as members of the Mavericks, the bond that they clearly share is bigger than any basketball-related decision that the two could make.
Hopefully, Doncic keeps that same energy up when the Rockets get the best of the Lakers on the hardwood later this year.