3 Trade deadline moves that would boost the Kings, 2 they must avoid
By Elaine Blum
Trading for Dorian Finney-Smith would boost the Kings’ forward rotation
Unfortunately, Harrison Barnes doesn’t always play like he did against the Hawks. All season long, he has been very up-and-down and not necessarily the best defender. Too often, he cannot keep up with some of the better wings and forwards out there.
Getting a defensive-minded forward has thus been the goal for a while now. A star doesn’t seem to be available, so getting an impactful role player would be the only answer to that problem.
Dorian Finney-Smith could be that player. He has playoff experience, knows how to play his role next to an All-Star point guard, shoots nearly 40 percent from three, and is a good defender at the forward position. All this would boost the Kings’ forward rotation.
The problem with Barnes is that he doesn’t get any plays run for him and has to make do with spare touches. Of course, he struggles to contribute consistently. Finney-Smith doesn’t need the ball a lot to impact the game. He can help a team win just by defending well and hitting some threes, and the Kings need role players like that.