EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- After spending his first day with the franchise, newly acquired Lakers forward Dorian Finney-Smith pointed out that L.A.'s trade with the Brooklyn Nets didn't just bring him from the East Coast to the West Coast.
It brought him from near the bottom of the NBA standings to championship contention.
"It's fun, man," Finney-Smith said Monday. "Just the opportunity to play for a championship. Not even just playoffs. In Brooklyn, we were just fighting to get in the playoffs. Here, we're trying to win the championship. So it's a different approach, different energy, all around."
The Lakers traded D'Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three future second-round picks in 2027, 2030 and 2031 to the Nets for Finney-Smith and guard Shake Milton on Sunday.
Finney-Smith and Milton, who were in Orlando with the Nets when they received the news, flew to L.A. on Sunday night and observed practice Monday while waiting for the trade to be officially completed when physicals for all the players involved are cleared.
Lakers coach JJ Redick -- who was a teammate of Finney-Smith's with the Dallas Mavericks and Milton's with the Philadelphia 76ers -- said he hoped to have both players in uniform Tuesday when L.A. hosts the Cleveland Cavaliers.
"Dorian gives us another defender and he's a guy that has guarded multiple positions throughout his career," Redick said. "He's worked to become an elite spot-up, catch-and-shoot 3-point shooter. So, just excited to have him. Shake, another guy that can handle the ball and score the basketball and shoot the basketball.
"I know what they bring on the court. I also know what they bring in terms of a culture and locker room fit. ... It's going to be great for our group, both on and off the court."
Finney-Smith averaged 10.4 points on 45.9% shooting (43.5% from 3), 4.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 20 games for Brooklyn. Milton averaged 7.4 points on 46.5% (38.9% from 3), 1.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists.
While Finney-Smith, 31, makes $14.9 million this season and has 35 playoff games under his belt, Redick said he will not change his current starting lineup featuring LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and the 21-year-old Max Christie.
"We're in a good spot with our starting group right now," Redick said. "So, he'll play and he'll come off the bench, and like I've told you guys several times, I want consistency with that group, but I'm not going to be stubborn and locked into something if it's not working. But it's working right now, and [Finney-Smith] is a guy that can fit in very easily with any lineup and any sort of roster."
Redick credited Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka for completing the trade in late December, with the Feb. 6 trade deadline still six weeks away.
"It's certainly a positive in my eyes to be able to integrate these guys for a longer stretch of time," Redick said. "We need these guys to be available now to play."
Lakers backup point guard Gabe Vincent left Saturday's win over the Sacramento Kings early with a hip injury and did not practice Monday. L.A. continues to be without forward Jarred Vanderbilt and center Christian Wood, who have both yet to play this season. Vanderbilt participated in the noncontact portion of practice Monday, however.
"There's a real value in creating cohesion and continuity and connectedness," Redick continued. "And the more you have to do that the better I think your chances are when you get to April and May and hopefully June."
While Finney-Smith had to sit out practice Monday, he made sure to make good use of the time by introducing himself to James on his new teammate's 40th birthday.
"I told Bron today, this is probably the most I ever said something to him," Finney-Smith said. "I've been guarding him for nine years, but I'm just not too friendly on the court. So now 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. 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."