The Hornets have already spent the offseason reshaping the roster with veteran pieces, and they may not be finished. Charlotte has now been linked to trade talks with Atlanta involving Buddy Hield and Dorian Finney-Smith, a move that would add another proven perimeter threat to a team that keeps looking for ways to retool around its young core.
Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer reported that the two teams have discussed a framework in which Finney-Smith would go to Atlanta and Hield would land in Charlotte. “Among our latest items, Atlanta and Charlotte have held trade talks surrounding Buddy Hield for Dorian Finney-Smith, sources say. It remains unclear whether an agreement will be struck before training camps open,” Fischer posted.
If Charlotte pulled it off, the fit would be obvious. Kon Knueppel would suddenly be paired with one of the league’s most dangerous shooters, giving the Hornets another clean option to stretch defenses and diversify the offense.
Hield has already made $122 million in his career, and he’s no stranger to sharing the floor with elite shooting. He has played alongside Steph Curry before, and the idea of him working next to Knueppel would give him another high-level marksman in the same lineup.
The potential move would come on the heels of a busy stretch for Charlotte. The first headline-grabbing deal of the offseason saw the Hornets move LaMelo Ball and Josh Green to Minnesota in a package that brought back Naz Reid, a 2033 unprotected first-round pick, three second-round picks and first-round pick swaps in 2028, 2029 and 2030.
“The Charlotte Hornets are trading star guard LaMelo Ball and Josh Green to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Naz Reid and a series of draft picks, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania on Thursday. In addition to Reid, the Hornets will receive a 2033 unprotected first-round pick and three second-round picks (2029, 2032, 2033). Charlotte also gets first-round pick swaps in 2028, 2029 and 2030," ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk wrote.
Charlotte then added another veteran guard by acquiring Dennis Schroder from Cleveland in exchange for Tre Mann.
“The Cleveland Cavaliers are trading Dennis Schroder and cash to the Charlotte Hornets for Tre Mann, sources told ESPN on Friday. In Schroder, Charlotte picks up an established veteran at point guard who has history with Hornets president Jeff Peterson and coach Charles Lee from his tenure in Atlanta at the start of his career,” ESPN’s Shams Charania wrote.
So while the Hornets have already made two significant moves, the door is still open for more. And with talks involving Hield and Finney-Smith now in the mix, Charlotte’s front office is clearly not done working the trade market.
In Other News...
Nicolas Batums Retirement Hits Hornets Fans On A Much Deeper Level
Nicolas Batums retirement announcement landed with a familiar kind of weight for Hornets fans, the sort that goes beyond basketball. After an 18-year NBA career across four teams, Batum stepped away from the game and framed the moment around family and reflection, making clear in a video message that he feels ready to turn the page to a new chapter in life.
For Charlotte, Batum has always been more than a role player who passed through. His decision to pick September 21 carried personal meaning tied to his fathers death, a detail that speaks to how much of his journey has always been shaped by loss, memory and family. Even in retirement, the focus around Batum feels less like an ending than a reminder of the person behind the jersey, which is why this news hits Hornets fans in a deeper way. [Read more 🡒]
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Charlottes reshaped roster reflects just how aggressive the front office was in making those changes, sending out familiar names like LaMelo Ball, Josh Green and Miles Bridges while bringing in a new mix headlined by Naz Reid, Grayson Allen, Royce ONeale, Dennis Schrder and Dorian Finney-Smith. Jeff Peterson has also shown belief in the clubs younger talent, which is part of the reason the outlook has changed so quickly, and the first real test of how all of it fits together comes when the Hornets open the 2026-27 season on the road against the Brooklyn Nets. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Training Camp Could Shape Charlottes Next Core Fast
After an offseason of significant roster turnover, the Hornets head into training camp with a season that could quickly clarify the direction of the franchise. The front office has already done plenty of reshaping, but the next step is less about adding bodies than sorting out who fits where and how fast this group can settle into a workable core.
A lot of the attention is going to cluster around Brandon Miller and the long view on his future in Charlotte, along with a center battle that should become one of camps cleaner position fights. From there, the Hornets also need to sort through the roles of players such as Naz Reid, Coby White, Dennis Schrder and Christian Anderson Jr., because this month could say a lot about what the next version of the team is supposed to look like. [Read more 🡒]