Hawks trading Buddy Hield, Ryan Nembhard to Hornets for Dorian Finney-Smith

The Hawks are trading Buddy Hield and Ryan Nembhard to the Hornets for veteran forward Dorian Finney-Smith, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

The deal comes one day after NBA insider Jake Fischer reported that Atlanta and Charlotte had engaged in on-and-off discussions involving Hield and Finney-Smith.

As Hoops Wire noted at the time, a straight swap involving those two players would not have solved Atlanta’s roster crunch. Including Nembhard allows the Hawks to move two players for one while addressing a more pressing need.

Finney-Smith, 33, gives Atlanta another experienced and versatile defender on the wing. At his best, the 6-foot-7 forward can guard multiple positions and provide enough perimeter shooting to complement more offense-oriented lineups.

His health and recent production carry some risk. Finney-Smith played only 37 games last season after undergoing ankle surgery in June 2025 and made just 27 percent of his 3-point attempts.

Hield was acquired from the Warriors earlier this offseason in the trade that sent Kristaps Porzingis to Golden State. Atlanta later guaranteed his $9.7 million salary but continued exploring possible trades.

Nembhard became expendable within a crowded Hawks backcourt.

Finney-Smith is owed $13.3 million in 2027-28, though that salary is non-guaranteed. That gives Atlanta another season to evaluate his fit without sacrificing its longer-term financial flexibility.

In short, Charlotte adds a proven volume shooter in Hield and another younger guard in Nembhard. Atlanta clears a roster spot and gets the bigger defensive forward it had been seeking.