The Hawks have made a roster-clearing move, sending Buddy Hield, Ryan Nembhard and cash to the Hornets in exchange for veteran forward Dorian Finney-Smith, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.
It’s the kind of consolidation deal Atlanta needed. The Hawks were staring at a possible logjam this fall with 16 players on standard contracts, and this trade lets them avoid having to waive anyone on guaranteed money or injured big man Mouhamed Gueye, who is on a non-guaranteed deal while recovering from offseason foot surgery.
For Atlanta, the appeal is Finney-Smith’s track record. He spent years as a dependable three-and-D wing with the Mavericks, Nets and Lakers before ankle surgery in 2025 knocked him off course.
The 33-year-old returned in December, but his stint with Houston never really got going. He played 37 games and averaged a career-low 3.3 points and 2.5 rebounds in 16.8 minutes per game while shooting .333/.270/.889.
Finney-Smith’s contract gives the Hawks some flexibility, too. Houston attached three second-round picks in July to move him to Charlotte in a salary-dump deal.
He signed a four-year, $52.7MM contract with Houston last summer, though only the first two seasons are guaranteed. After he earns $14.2MM in 2026/27, Atlanta would not owe any guaranteed money if it decides to move on next offseason.
Charlotte gets a young guard with real promise. Nembhard went undrafted, then carved out a strong rookie season in Dallas last year, appearing in 60 games and starting 27 after getting bumped from a two-way contract to a standard deal. He averaged 6.6 PPG, 5.3 APG and 2.2 RPG in 19.5 MPG, while shooting .415/.356/.806.
Nembhard was part of the three-team Luguentz Dort / Zaccharie Risacher trade in July that sent him from Dallas to Atlanta. He’s due about $2.15MM in 2026/27 and will be eligible for restricted free agency next summer.
Hield, meanwhile, leaves Atlanta after a rough stretch that followed a highly productive career from deep. His 2,201 made three-pointers rank 15th all-time, but last season he struggled between Golden State and Atlanta. In 51 games, he averaged a career-low 7.6 points in 16.1 minutes per game and hit just 34.9% of his threes, also a career-worst mark.
The Hawks had already decided earlier this offseason to keep Hield when his $3MM partial guarantee for 2026/27 became a full $9.66MM guarantee. His deal also carries a $10.1MM player option for 2027/28, which would be partially guaranteed for $3.14MM if he exercises it.
In Other News...
Hornets Make Another Roster Move With Greensboro In Mind
The Hornets continued to reshape their offseason group by bringing in forward Tre Carroll while moving on from guard DJ Armstrong to open a spot on the 21-man roster. Carroll, an undrafted June prospect who played at Florida Atlantic and Xavier, also spent time with Washingtons Summer League team, giving Charlotte another look at a player still trying to carve out his NBA path.
For the Hornets, the move fits the familiar pattern of using the back end of the roster to keep options open, especially with the Greensboro Swarm in mind. Carrolls contract is expected to carry Exhibit 10 language, which would make him a candidate to land with Charlottes G League affiliate if he doesnt stick in camp, and that keeps one more developmental piece in the organization as the summer shuffle continues. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Just Made A Veteran Move That Feels Bigger Than Now
The Hornets kept their summer moving with a trade that looks modest on the surface but still tells you something about how theyre trying to shape the roster. Charlotte brought in Buddy Hield and Ryan Nembhard from Atlanta in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith, adding a veteran shooter to a group that could use more spacing and a player whose contract could matter again down the line.
Hield gives Charlotte a proven perimeter threat and a bit of roster flexibility, since he still has two years left on his deal and a player option after the 2026-27 season. Nembhard is more of a back-end piece in the transaction, but the bigger point is that the Hornets were willing to turn a more straightforward veteran swap into something with at least a little future value, even if it doesnt dramatically alter the outlook right now. [Read more 🡒]
Brandon Miller Now Carries The Pressure Of Charlottes Next Chapter
LaMelo Ball is gone, and with that move the Hornets have shifted the center of gravity in a big way. The roster now leans on Brandon Miller as a leading offensive piece, with Kon Knueppel, Naz Reid, Coby White and Moussa Diabate joining him in what looks like a very different next chapter for Charlotte.
Millers role is only part of the story, though. He is entering a contract year, which adds another layer of scrutiny to everything he does on the floor, and the Hornets are still working through what his long-term place in the franchise will be. For a team trying to reset around a new core, that makes every step from Miller feel a little more loaded than before. [Read more 🡒]