This is the time of year when there are very few trades, and it’s even rarer to see one with names players would recognize, but on-and-off talks between Atlanta and Charlotte have bubbled to the surface.
This summer, Atlanta has discussed trading Buddy Heild to Charlotte for Dorian Finney-Smith, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line. That deal has yet to come to fruition but is not dead, according to the report.
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An earlier version of the trade could have included Devin Carter, but Atlanta waived him earlier this month and he quickly signed with Boston.
For the Hawks, this is largely about long-term money and the fact that they spent the summer trying to get off Hield’s salary for this coming season. Hield is set to make $9.7 million this season, but has a player option for $10.1 million for next season, which he is likely to pick up. While Finney-Smith will make more this season at $13.3 million and has two more years on the books after that, only $3.1 million of his 2027-28 salary is guaranteed. Atlanta will likely have to include more in this trade that interests Houston (picks, potentially), it won’t be a straight player-for-player swap.
Finney-Smith, 33, played just 37 games in Houston last season due to ankle surgery, and put up career-low numbers when he did. The hope is that, healthy again this season, he can return to the reliable 3&D role he had filled throughout his career.
Hield, 33, played in 51 games last season, splitting time between Golden State and Atlanta, and averaged 7.6 points per game while shooting 34.9% from 3-point range (the lowest percentage of his career).
This trade may never come to fruition, but expect both players to show up in more trade rumors as we move into the season.
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