The Charlotte Hornets are adding a proven scorer to their backcourt mix, bringing in Buddy Hield in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks.
The Details of the Trade
According to Shams Charania, Atlanta is sending Hield, Ryan Nembhard and cash considerations to Charlotte in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith. The move creates a $2.1 million trade exception for Atlanta and a $4.5 million exception for Charlotte, with the Hornets expected to waive Nembhard once the deal is finalized. It marks the second time this offseason Finney-Smith has changed hands, after Houston initially traded him and three second-round picks to Charlotte back on July 6.
Hield’s Well-Traveled Career
Hield’s basketball journey has been anything but stable, and Charlotte now becomes the sixth franchise of his career. He entered the league as the sixth overall pick in the 2016 draft by the New Orleans Pelicans. He was later dealt to the Sacramento Kings, where he spent the bulk of his career. Sacramento traded him to the Indiana Pacers in 2022. After roughly two seasons there, he landed with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2024.
His stint with the Golden State Warriors followed shortly after. He arrived via a six-team sign-and-trade in July 2024, the largest transaction of its kind in NBA history. Hield made an immediate impact, debuting with 22 points and five made threes off the bench against Portland. He followed that with 27 points and seven threes against Utah two days later. His 12 combined threes across those first two games were the most by any player in his first two games with a new team in league history. He played all 82 games that season, averaging 11.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists.
His time in Golden State also included one signature moment. In a Game 7 win over the Houston Rockets in May 2025, Hield drilled nine three-pointers, tying Donte DiVincenzo’s record for most made threes in a playoff Game 7.
Hield’s role diminished the following season. He appeared in 44 games, averaging 8.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists. Golden State traded him alongside Jonathan Kuminga to Atlanta in February 2026 for Kristaps Porzingis. Hield appeared in just seven games with the Hawks, averaging 5.1 points, before now being moved to Charlotte. He’s owed roughly $9.6 million this season, with a player option for 2027-28.
What Hield Brings to the Hornets
Hield now joins a young Hornets roster, where he’ll likely settle into a veteran mentorship role alongside players like Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller. His shooting track record gives Charlotte another floor-spacing option to pair with its developing core, even as the team continues building around its younger pieces this season.
For Atlanta, meanwhile, the addition of Finney-Smith comes at a critical time. The Hawks lost rookie center Henri Veesaar to a torn right ACL earlier this week, an injury expected to keep him out for the entire 2026-27 season, according to Michael Scotto. Finney-Smith, a 10-year veteran coming off ankle surgery and a career-low statistical season in 2025-26, gives the Hawks added length and defensive versatility on the wing around Jalen Johnson with Veesaar now out for the season.
Hornets Trade for $9.6 Million Former Warriors Sharpshooter