Buddy Hield Reportedly Traded to Hornets in 3-Player Deal, Hawks Land Dorian Finney-Smith

The Charlotte Hornets acquired veteran sharpshooter Buddy Hield in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

The Hawks sent Hield, guard Ryan Nembhard and cash to the Hornets in exchange for forward Dorian Finney-Smith, per Charania.

Charlotte likely created a $4.5 million trade exception heading into the 2026-27 season due to the move, while Atlanta created a $2.1 million trade exception (h/t ESPN's Bobby Marks).

While the trade occurred close to the beginning of preseason for both teams, it doesn't come as a complete shock.

On Sunday, NBA insider Jake Fischer reported that Atlanta and Charlotte had engaged in discussions surrounding a swap of Hield and Finney-Smith.

Hield appeared in 51 combined games with the Hawks and Golden State Warriors last year, averaging 7.6 points and 2.3 rebounds in 16.1 minutes per game while shooting 43.7 percent from the field and 34.9 percent from behind the arc.

It's worth noting that his three-point accuracy improved after he was traded to Atlanta during the season, connecting on 41.2 percent of his triples across seven games with the Hawks. Hield also shot 55.6 percent on catch-and-shoot threes during that span (via NBA.com).

He'll carry a $9.7 million cap hit for the 2026-27 season before holding a $10.1 million player option for the following year (via Spotrac).

Nembhard is entering his second season in the association after suiting up in 60 games with the Dallas Mavericks during his 2025-26 campaign. He was initially acquired by Atlanta in a three-team trade on July 19.

The 23-year-old showcased his playmaking abilities as a rookie, recording 6.6 points and 5.3 assists compared to just 1.4 turnovers per game. He also compiled 41.5/35.6/80.6 shooting splits.

Nembhard will earn $2.2 million next season until he hits restricted free agency in 2027.

As for Finney-Smith, he played in 37 games for the Houston Rockets last season after missing the beginning of the year while recovering from ankle surgery.

He struggled offensively after returning, shooting just 33.3 percent from the field and 27.0 percent from three-point territory.

Still, Finney-Smith has hit 35.9 percent of his threes throughout his career and brings plenty of experience to Atlanta. He has 44 playoff games under his belt.

Both the Hawks and Hornets enter the 2026-27 season looking to climb further up the Eastern Conference standings.

Atlanta is coming off a 46-36 finish to go along with a first-round playoff appearance, while Charlotte posted a 44-38 record and won a play-in tournament game.