Dorian Finney-Smith’s stay in Charlotte could be brief, and not because the Hornets are planning to waive him.
The veteran forward has looked like the most obvious roster casualty since he arrived in early July, when Charlotte took him in with a trio of second-round picks. The expectation around the league was that the Hornets would cut him loose after training camp and let him chase a fresh start somewhere else. Instead, a trade with Atlanta is now in the mix.
Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report and The Stein Line reported on X: "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 camp."
On paper, the deal has a few layers to it. Finney-Smith is set to make $14.1 million in 2026-27, while Hield is due $9.6 million that season.
But DFS has the cleaner escape hatch for Charlotte: the rest of his contract is non-guaranteed, which would allow the Hornets to move on in the offseason without paying the full freight, assuming he remains on the roster all year. Hield’s deal carries a $9 million player option for 2027-28, with $3.1 million guaranteed and the rest locking in the day after the 2027 NBA Draft.
If Charlotte were simply looking at the math, buying out Hield would come out cheaper than cutting Finney-Smith before the season. Hield is owed about $12.7 million over the next two years, compared with DFS at $14.1 million.
The basketball case is close, too. Both players are the same age, and Finney-Smith may be the slightly better two-way option right now, assuming a healthy offseason brings him closer to form. Hield still has the clear edge as a perimeter shooter, and the gap between the two is not wide.
For Charlotte, the appeal would be getting picks back from Atlanta while also trimming some salary. For the Hawks, the fit is easy to see.
They need a healthy Finney-Smith type after Mo Gueye suffered a foot injury in July that is expected to keep him out for 3-4 months, putting him on the shelf to start the season. Atlanta has plenty of backcourt depth, but it lacks a physical forward to eat minutes behind Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu unless Asa Newell or Zuby Ejiofor develops quickly.
That need could become even sharper if Atlanta moves on from Gueye before the season, especially with the Hawks facing a roster crunch similar to Charlotte’s.
The bigger message here is hard to miss: Finney-Smith does not look like a long-term piece for the Hornets. If Charlotte is already shopping him before training camp, his place in the team’s immediate plans seems shaky at best.
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 🡒]
Hawks May Be Weighing A Costly Defensive Tradeoff
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There may still be more coming, with Charlotte having held trade talks with Atlanta on a possible deal that could alter both teams rotation plans. The discussion has centered on a veteran wing package, and the appeal is obvious from the Hornets side: adding another established piece while deciding how much more defensive stability it is willing to sacrifice. For now, though, the talks remain just that, with no agreement finalized. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Are Getting More Respect Than Fans Might Expect
The preseason chatter around Charlotte has taken a different turn than many fans expected, with Yahoo Sports slotting the Hornets 16th in its NBA power rankings. Considering how much roster turnover followed a busy offseason, thats a notable vote of confidence for a team that has spent years trying to reset its direction and build a more stable core.
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 🡒]