Nets bring back D’Angelo Russell, deal Dorian Finney-Smith in trade with Lakers

ORLANDO — The Nets have traded veteran forward Dorian Finney-Smith to the Lakers for draft picks — and the return of the prodigal son.

Brooklyn shipped Finney-Smith and backup guard Shake Milton — who was coming on of late — to Los Angeles for three second-round picks, Maxwell Lewis and former Net D’Angelo Russell. The Nets will get the Lakers’ second-rounders in 2027, 2030 and 2031.

The news was first reported by ESPN, and confirmed by The Post.

Russell — averaging 12.4 points and 4.7 assists — was a key linchpin of general manager Sean Marks’ first rebuild in Brooklyn, before being moved in a sign-and-trade for Kevin Durant.

It remains to be seen if he’ll be around for this second rebuild. And if he still harbors any hard feelings over being traded away the first time.

In Finney-Smith, the Nets traded away their toughness on the court and the grownup in the room. Having one of the best seasons of his career, he was a team-leading plus-41, when no other Net was better than plus-2 coming into Sunday’s game in Orlando.

Finney-Smith is shooting a career-high 44 percent from 3-point range. But he had a player option for next year that he was unlikely to pick up, meaning he could’ve left for nothing in unrestricted free agency in the summer.

Marks and Nets owner Joe Tsai had an offer of two first-round picks for Finney-Smith as soon as they acquired him from Dallas for Kyrie Irving. But they were trying to compete behind Mikal Bridges at the time, and had no interest in a tear-down rebuild.

But times have changed.

Now they’re rebuilding, and once again Russell could be part of it. They’d acquired the young point guard from the Lakers and molded him into an All-Star. He helped guide them into the 2018-19 playoffs, but was traded in the summer of 2019 as part of the deal to bring in Durant.

Asked in 2021 if he was extra motivated playing against the Nets, he said no but would certainly be if Marks was suiting up.

“Maybe if Sean Marks was in a jersey, then there’d be something different,” Russell told The Post. “But he’s not.

“It’s part of the league. Obviously I was traded before that, so I’m sure I could be traded again. I try not to get too comfortable. You know, I know any day you can wake up and get that call, so my bags are packed.” 

Russell is on an expiring contract that will pay him $18.7 million. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent in the summer.

Brooklyn currently starts Ben Simmons at point guard, on a $40 million expiring deal.