Trade Proposal Sends Dorian Finney-Smith To Cavaliers, Georges Niang To Nets

One NBA analyst proposed that the Cleveland Cavaliers trade Georges Niang to the Brooklyn Nets for Dorian Finney-Smith.

Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report proposed the following mock trade between the Cavaliers and Nets:

The Trade: The Cleveland Cavaliers acquire Dorian Finney-Smith from the Brooklyn Nets for Georges Niang and four second-round picks (2027, 2028 and 2029 via CLE; 2025 via MIL)

Finney-Smith averaged 8.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.6 blocks for the Nets in 2023-24 while shooting 42.1% from the field, 34.8% from beyond the arc and 71.7% from the free-throw line. He’ll make $14.9 million in 2024-25. 

Finney-Smith has career averages of 8.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.5 blocks with the Dallas Mavericks and Nets. 

“Cleveland’s side of this is obvious: It still needs a rangy, defensive-minded combo forward to slot in between the Donovan Mitchell–Darius Garland backcourt and the Evan Mobley–Jarrett Allen frontcourt,” Hughes wrote in his NBA trade proposal. “Finney-Smith has graded out as a positive defender by D-EPM in every year of his career, rating in the top 20 percent across each of the last four seasons. He’s not the shooter Max Strus is, but he’ll bring the exact kind of stopping power Cleveland needs from its (potential) fifth closer.”

In his first season with the Cavaliers, Niang averaged 9.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.4 steals and 0.2 blocks while shooting 44.9% from the field, 37.6% from beyond the arc and 85.0% from the free-throw line. He’ll make $8.5 million next season. 

Niang has career averages of 7.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.3 steals and 0.1 blocks with the Indiana Pacers, Utah Jazz, Philadelphia 76ers and Cavaliers. 

“Niang is just salary filler here, and the Nets will appreciate that the remaining two years of his deal total $16.7 million, just over half as much as the $30.4 million Finney-Smith has coming his way through 2025-26,” Hughes wrote. 

The Cavaliers lost to the Boston Celtics in the second round of the 2024 playoffs in five games, while the Nets missed the postseason. 

Brooklyn is in rebuild mode after trading Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks.