Hawks Shopping Buddy Hield to Hornets in Finney-Smith Swap Talks

Atlanta spent the whole summer trying to shed Buddy Hield's contract, and the latest report says they've got a partner in mind. Per Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, the Hawks have discussed sending Hield to Charlotte for Dorian Finney-Smith — a deal that hasn't closed but reportedly isn't dead either.

The money is the whole story here. Hield is owed $9.7 million this season with a $10.1 million player option for next year he's expected to pick up. Finney-Smith carries a bigger $13.3 million tag this season plus two more years, but only $3.1 million of his 2027-28 salary is guaranteed. That's the kind of flexibility Atlanta is chasing.

An earlier version of this framework could've included Devin Carter, but the Hawks waived him earlier this month and he signed with Boston almost immediately. So whatever gets done now looks different from the original sketch.

Not A Clean Swap

Don't expect a straight player-for-player exchange. The report notes Atlanta will likely have to sweeten the pot — potentially with draft picks — to make the salary math and the appeal work. In other words, this is a negotiation still in motion, not a handshake deal.

There's also a Houston angle lurking in the background, which tells you these two names aren't going away. Both Hield and Finney-Smith are the kind of expiring-ish, movable veterans who tend to resurface in rumor after rumor as the season rolls on.

The On-Court Reality

Neither guy is coming off a strong year. Hield, 33, split 2025-26 between Golden State and Atlanta, playing 51 games and averaging just 7.6 points on 34.9% from three — the worst long-range mark of his career. That's a brutal number for a player whose entire identity is shooting.

Finney-Smith, also 33, is in a similar boat. Ankle surgery limited him to 37 games in Houston last season, and he posted career-low numbers when he did suit up — just 3.3 points and 2.5 boards a night. The hope for whoever ends up with him is that a healthy season restores the reliable 3-and-D role he built his career on.

The Fantasy Fallout

Bluntly: there are no fantasy winners here. Hield sits at #301 overall in our rankings and put up 14.6 fantasy points per game last season (2025-26, actual), and his last five games ran 3.7 below his own season average. A change of scenery to Charlotte doesn't magically fix a broken jumper.

Finney-Smith is even further off the radar at #374 overall, with a paltry 9 fantasy points per game in 2025-26 (actual) and a form dip of 1.8 below his average over his last five. Health could bump his floor, but a 33-year-old wing coming off ankle surgery isn't a target in standard leagues.

The one name worth a note is Devin Carter, who quietly averaged 18.8 fantasy points per game across 38 games last season (2025-26, actual) and was surging — plus-14.5 over his final five before Atlanta cut him loose. He's a Celtic now and a deep-league watch, not these two.

Bottom line for managers: drop Hield if he's somehow rostered, ignore Finney-Smith unless he lands somewhere with a starting job, and treat this whole saga as noise for your lineup. Neither player moves your needle no matter where the trade dust settles.