Hawks trade Hield, Nembhard to Hornets for Finney-Smith
The Atlanta Hawks traded guards Buddy Hield and Ryan Nembhard plus cash to the Charlotte Hornets for forward Dorian Finney-Smith. The move addresses roster depth after the Hawks lost backup center Henri Veesaar to a torn ACL, though Finney-Smith, 33, played just 37 games last season due to ankle surgery.
The Atlanta Hawks traded guards Buddy Hield and Ryan Nembhard, along with cash, to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for forward Dorian Finney-Smith, according to Yahoo NBA reporting citing ESPN. A Buddy Hield for Dorian Finney-Smith deal had been simmering on the NBA back burner all summer, and the completion of this trade just days before training camps are set to open signals the final deadline for roster adjustments before the season begins. Hield, 33, played in 51 games last season split between Golden State and Atlanta, averaging 7.6 points per game while shooting 34.9% from 3-point range, the lowest percentage of his career, per Yahoo NBA. His salary is $9.7 million this season, with a $10.1 million player option for next season. Ryan Nembhard showed promise as a rookie with Dallas last season. Finney-Smith, 33, played just 37 games last season for the Rockets due to ankle surgery. He will make $13.3 million this season and has two years and $26.7 million on the books after that, but none of that future salary is guaranteed. This structure allows Atlanta to walk away from Finney-Smith after this season without penalty. The Hawks waived Devin Carter as part of the roster adjustment. The Rockets spent three second-round picks in a salary dump trade with Charlotte earlier this summer, leaving the Hornets with significant roster depth challenges that the Hield-Nembhard acquisition further complicates. Charlotte now faces its own roster crunch with multiple guards competing for limited spots and may require additional moves to resolve it before camp.
The Hawks acquired 33-year-old Dorian Finney-Smith from Charlotte for Buddy Hield, Ryan Nembhard, and cash, with the flexibility to walk away after one season since Finney-Smith's future salary is not guaranteed.
The Hawks bet that Finney-Smith's one-year, $13.3 million commitment with an exit after this season provides more defensive versatility and wing depth than Hield's declining shooting offered. If Finney-Smith cannot return to form after ankle surgery, Atlanta's gamble on short-term flexibility becomes sunk cost.
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