Dorian Finney-Smith Bio
Dorian Lawrence Finney-Smith is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Standing 6 feet 7 inches tall and weighing around 220 pounds, he is recognized around the league as a versatile, defense-first forward who can also stretch the floor as a three-point shooter. After spending his first seven seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in February 2023, moved to the Los Angeles Lakers in late December 2024, and signed with the Houston Rockets in July 2025.
Born and raised in Portsmouth, Virginia, Finney-Smith is widely respected for his toughness, rebounding, and willingness to take on the toughest defensive assignment each night. He is a former Virginia Tech Hokies and Florida Gators standout who went undrafted in 2016 before carving out a long NBA career through persistence and steady improvement.
Early Life and Background
Dorian Lawrence Finney-Smith was born on May 4, 1993, in Portsmouth, Virginia, to Elbert Smith and Desiree Finney-Henderson. He was nicknamed “Doe-Doe” after his paternal grandmother, Doris, a name that has followed him throughout his basketball journey. In 1996, his father was sentenced to 44 years in prison for his role in a 1995 murder in Kempsville, Virginia; he was released in 2024.
Finney-Smith faced additional hardship in his teenage years. On September 13, 2008, his older brother, Ra-Shawn Finney, was fatally shot seven times after a confrontation at a house party in Chesapeake, Virginia. Dorian later had Ra-Shawn’s name tattooed across his chest in tribute, and the memory of his brother has been a driving force behind his basketball career.
His mother raised a large athletic family. Desiree has five other children, including three who became collegiate athletes: Ben Finney, who played for the Old Dominion Monarchs; Sha-Kilya Finney, who played for the Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks; and Monnazjea Finney-Smith, who played for the VCU Rams. Finney-Smith attended I. C. Norcom High School in Portsmouth, where he blossomed into one of the top players in the state.
Path to Basketball
At I. C. Norcom, Finney-Smith was a dominant two-way player. As a junior in 2009–10, he averaged 19.7 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, three steals, and two blocks per game. In September 2010, he committed to Virginia Tech, and he later signed a National Letter of Intent with the Hokies in December. As a senior, he averaged 18 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 3.8 blocks per game, leading Norcom to back-to-back Group AAA state championships along with Eastern Region and District titles. He recorded 19 points, 17 rebounds, and three blocks in the state championship game as a senior, finishing his high school career as a two-time VHSL Class AAA Player of the Year and a first-team all-state, all-region, All-Tidewater, and all-district selection.
Finney-Smith joined Virginia Tech for the 2011–12 season and made an immediate impact, playing in all 33 games with 30 starts while averaging 6.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. He was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team and scored a season-high 17 points in a 66–65 win over Boston College. In June 2012, he transferred to the University of Florida, where NCAA rules forced him to sit out the 2012–13 season.
Once eligible, Finney-Smith became one of the most productive players in the SEC. As a sophomore in 2013–14, he was named SEC Sixth Man of the Year, becoming only the second Gator to win the award after Chris Richard in 2007. He was Florida’s leading rebounder with 247 total boards and a 6.7 average, and he recorded the first 20-rebound, 15-point performance by a Gator in a road game during Billy Donovan’s tenure, finishing with 22 points in an overtime win over Arkansas. As a junior in 2014–15, he was named second-team All-SEC by the coaches and led Florida in scoring (13.1), rebounding (6.2), and three-point shooting (.426), scoring a career-high 25 points against Jacksonville. As a senior in 2015–16, he earned second-team All-SEC honors from the coaches and third-team All-SEC from the Associated Press, leading the Gators in scoring (14.7) and rebounding (8.3). He became the first Florida player to reach 1,000 career points after transferring mid-tenure, finishing with 1,220 points, which ranks 36th in school history.
Dorian Finney-Smith Career
Early Career (2016–2018)
After going undrafted in the 2016 NBA draft, Dorian Finney-Smith signed with the Dallas Mavericks on July 8, 2016, and joined the team for the 2016 NBA Summer League. He secured an opening-night roster spot by impressing the coaching staff during training camp and the preseason. After playing less than five minutes cumulatively over the first five games of the 2016–17 season, he logged 31 minutes against the Milwaukee Bucks on November 6, 2016, recording five points, three rebounds, three steals, and one block in an 86–75 win. Two days later, he made his first career start, scoring five points in a 109–97 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
His rookie year showed steady growth. On December 9, 2016, he posted career highs of 12 points and eight rebounds in a 111–103 win over the Indiana Pacers, and three days later he set new highs of 13 points and nine boards in a 112–92 win over the Denver Nuggets. On March 10, 2018, Finney-Smith returned from a 51-game absence caused by left knee quadriceps tendinitis, scoring seven points in 18 minutes in a 114–80 win over the Memphis Grizzlies, and he closed the year with 15 points and ten rebounds against the Detroit Pistons.
Dallas Mavericks Breakthrough (2018–2023)
Finney-Smith’s role expanded significantly in his second and third NBA seasons. On July 11, 2019, he re-signed with the Mavericks on a three-year, $12 million contract. That season, he posted a then-career high 22 points in a 117–110 win over the San Antonio Spurs on November 18, 2019, and on August 4, 2020, he grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds in a 114–110 win over the Sacramento Kings. He scored a then-career high 27 points with six made three-pointers on August 8, 2020, against the Milwaukee Bucks, helping Dallas reach the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
That postseason run marked his playoff debut on August 17, 2020, when he recorded nine points, four rebounds, two assists, and two steals in a 118–110 Game 1 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. Dallas was eliminated in six games, but Finney-Smith’s role as a three-and-D wing was now firmly established. In 2020–21, he posted a season-high 23 points with six rebounds and four assists in a 111–103 win over the Utah Jazz, and he delivered 18 points and five rebounds in a Game 1 win over the Clippers in the first round. The Mavericks pushed the series to seven games, with Finney-Smith finishing with 18 points and 10 rebounds in the deciding 126–111 loss.
On February 12, 2022, Finney-Smith signed a four-year, $52 million veteran extension with Dallas, cementing his long-term future with the franchise. He scored a career-high 28 points on March 30, 2022, in a 120–112 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, and helped Dallas eliminate the Utah Jazz in the first round before upsetting the Phoenix Suns in a seven-game second-round series. He set a playoff career high with 24 points, eight three-pointers, and eight rebounds in a 111–101 Game 4 win over the Suns on May 8, 2022. The Mavericks advanced to the Western Conference Finals against the Golden State Warriors, where Finney-Smith added 23 points, six rebounds, and two assists in a 119–109 Game 4 win before Dallas was eliminated in five games.
Brooklyn Nets Era (2023–2024)
On February 6, 2023, Finney-Smith was traded, alongside Spencer Dinwiddie, an unprotected 2029 first-round pick, and second-round picks in 2027 and 2029, to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Kyrie Irving and Markieff Morris. The move gave Brooklyn a defensive-minded forward capable of guarding multiple positions while spacing the floor from beyond the arc.
Los Angeles Lakers Era (2024–2025)
On December 29, 2024, Finney-Smith was traded from the Nets, alongside Shake Milton, to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Maxwell Lewis, D’Angelo Russell, and three future second-round picks. He made 43 appearances, including 20 starts, for Los Angeles during the 2024–25 NBA season, averaging 7.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists. On June 12, 2025, he underwent surgery to repair a lingering ankle injury. On June 29, 2025, it was announced that Finney-Smith would opt out of his $15.4 million player option to become an unrestricted free agent.
Houston Rockets Era (2025–Present)
On July 7, 2025, Finney-Smith signed a four-year, $53 million contract with the Houston Rockets, signaling a new chapter in his career. The signing brought a veteran presence, defensive versatility, and three-point shooting to a young Houston roster aiming to climb the Western Conference standings.
Driving Style and Strengths
Finney-Smith is widely regarded as one of the league’s most reliable perimeter defenders, capable of matching up with both wings and small forwards. His three-point shooting, particularly from the corners, makes him a strong fit alongside ball-dominant stars, while his rebounding toughness gives his team an edge on the glass. He is also praised for his locker-room leadership and willingness to embrace any role his coaches ask of him.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among his signature moments are his career-high 28-point game against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2022, his 24-point, eight-three-pointer explosion in a playoff win over the Phoenix Suns, and his eight-year journey from undrafted free agent to multi-year, $53 million contract holder. He is also one of the few NBA players to have reached 1,000 career points at the University of Florida after transferring mid-career.
Dorian Finney-Smith Career Wins
While individual win totals for Finney-Smith are not fully verified across every team and season, his career is defined by team success and individual milestones. He helped the Dallas Mavericks reach the playoffs four consecutive seasons, including a run to the 2022 Western Conference Finals, and he has been a steady contributor on every roster he has joined.
NBA Highlights
Finney-Smith’s most memorable NBA moments include his first career start against the Los Angeles Lakers in 2016, his career-high 28-point game against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2022, and his 24-point playoff performance against the Phoenix Suns in 2022. His most recent verified appearance came during the 2024–25 season with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he appeared in 43 games before undergoing ankle surgery in June 2025.
College and High School Performances
At Florida, Finney-Smith was a two-time second-team All-SEC selection, the 2014 SEC Sixth Man of the Year, and a member of the 1,000-point club. At Virginia Tech, he earned ACC All-Freshman Team honors. At I. C. Norcom High School, he was a two-time VHSL Class AAA Player of the Year and led his team to back-to-back state championships.
Dorian Finney-Smith Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Finney-Smith comes from a deeply athletic family. His mother, Desiree Finney-Henderson, raised several children, three of whom played college sports: Ben Finney at Old Dominion, Sha-Kilya Finney at Maryland Eastern Shore, and Monnazjea Finney-Smith at VCU. His father, Elbert Smith, was released from prison in 2024 after serving more than two decades of a 44-year sentence.
Personal Life
Finney-Smith had his first child, a daughter, when he was 16 years old, and he also has two sons. He carries the memory of his late brother, Ra-Shawn Finney, with a tattoo across his chest. His nickname “Doe-Doe,” given to him by his paternal grandmother, Doris, remains a personal trademark that fans and teammates use to this day.
2025 Season Performance
Finney-Smith joined the Houston Rockets on July 7, 2025, on a four-year, $53 million contract, stepping into a veteran leadership role on a young and rising Western Conference roster. After recovering from ankle surgery performed in June 2025, his return to full health will be a key storyline heading into the season.
With the Rockets, he is expected to provide perimeter defense, three-point shooting, and championship-level experience as the team pushes for a deeper playoff run. His ability to guard multiple positions and knock down corner threes makes him an ideal fit alongside the Rockets’ emerging young core.
Looking ahead, Finney-Smith’s combination of defensive versatility, shooting, and toughness should help stabilize Houston’s rotation. If he returns to his pre-injury form, the Rockets gain one of the most reliable three-and-D forwards in the league, and Finney-Smith adds another strong chapter to a career built on perseverance and hard work.