The Atlanta Hawks did not wait for training camp to expose a problem they already knew they had.
One day after announcing rookie center Henri Veesaar would miss the 2026-27 season with a torn right ACL, Atlanta moved to reinforce its frontcourt, acquiring veteran forward Dorian Finney-Smith from the Charlotte Hornets.
The Hawks are sending Buddy Hield, Ryan Nembhard and cash considerations to Charlotte, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The move comes at a particularly important time for Atlanta, which has seen its frontcourt depth eroded by injuries before camp has even opened.
Hawks Needed Frontcourt Help After Veesaar Injury
Veesaar tore his ACL during a Sept. 15 workout and is expected to miss the entire season. The 7-footer had been viewed as a developmental option behind Onyeka Okongwu and Jock Landale after Atlanta traded up to select him 52nd overall in June.
That injury followed another setback involving Mouhamed Gueye, who underwent surgery after fracturing his left foot during a July workout. The Hawks said Gueye would be reevaluated in three to four months, clouding his availability for the start of the season.
Even before Veesaar went down, rival executives had identified backup big man depth as one of Atlanta’s clearest needs.
Finney-Smith does not solve that problem in the traditional sense. He is not a center.
But he gives coach Quin Snyder something the Hawks suddenly need just as badly: a rugged, switchable frontcourt defender who can play power forward, guard across multiple positions and survive in smaller lineups.
Dorian Finney-Smith Gives Hawks More Lineup Flexibility
Finney-Smith, 33, arrives in Atlanta after a brief stay in Charlotte. The Hornets acquired him from Houston earlier this offseason, with the Rockets attaching three second-round picks to move his contract.
The veteran averaged 3.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and one assist in 37 games for Houston last season. His value, however, has rarely been tied to box-score production.
At 6-foot-7, Finney-Smith has built his career as a defense-first forward capable of spacing the floor and taking difficult assignments on the other end. That versatility could allow Atlanta to use him alongside Jalen Johnson or even in small-ball frontcourts when Okongwu and Landale sit.
Atlanta had been discussing a Finney-Smith deal with Charlotte before Veesaar’s injury was announced. Marc Stein reported that the teams had engaged in on-and-off talks throughout September, with Hield at the center of those conversations.
Now the deal is done.
Hawks Continue Aggressive Roster Reshaping
Hield’s stay in Atlanta ends almost as quickly as it began. He appeared in only seven games for the Hawks last season after arriving from Golden State in the Kristaps Porzingis trade, while Nembhard had joined Atlanta this summer following a three-team deal with Dallas.
Finney-Smith does not replace the size Atlanta lost with Veesaar and Gueye.
What he does provide is a veteran who can absorb minutes at several frontcourt spots, defend playoff-caliber wings and give Snyder more ways to survive when the Hawks inevitably have to go smaller.
For a team that entered September thin up front and then lost another 7-footer for the season, that flexibility suddenly became much more valuable.
Hawks Make Surprise Trade After String of Frontcourt Injuries