The Atlanta Hawks have been linked to a Buddy Hield-for-Dorian Finney-Smith trade, but they should only make the deal if Charlotte adds draft assets.
The latest rumors suggest that the Atlanta Hawks could look to trade Buddy Hield for Dorian Finney-Smith. They should only do so under one condition.
Life moves quickly in the National Basketball Association. A couple of years ago, the assertion that Hield should be more valuable than Finney-Smith would have been nonsensical. Finney-Smith was one of the best three-and-D wings in the NBA:
But the operative word there is "was".
Hawks Would Be Taking a Risk on Finney-Smith
Unfortunately, Finney-Smith's first (and only) season with the Houston Rockets last year was an unmitigated disaster.
In 37 games, Finney-Smith averaged 3.3 points per game while shooting 27.0% from three-point range. If Finney-Smith isn't hitting threes, he offers minimal value on the offensive end of the floor. By the end of the year, the Rockets found him virtually unplayable.
Yes, Finney-Smith was coming off an injury. That's a key variable, but it should only mitigate Hawks fans' concerns to a certain extent. At 33, he may never get back to his previous form.
So why would the Hawks be interested in him?
Hawks Should Get Assets for Finney-Smith
It's not for contractual reasons. Finney-Smith is owed an average of $13.5 million per year for three more years if we accept the Player Option (PO) he'll almost certainly accept in 2028-29. Hield will make an average of $9.8 million for just two more years until he has his own PO in 2027-28.
We're looking at two players with minimal on-court value in 2026. One has a significantly more burdensome contract than the other. So, why would the Hawks want the bigger deal?
Here comes that one condition referred to in this article's opening.
Assets. The Hornets should have to attach assets to make this deal work. If they're willing to give up enough, it could pique the Hawks' interest.
They won't get anything too significant. A pair of second-round picks should do the trick. If the Hornets are open to that arrangement, this deal would make sense.
After all, it's not impossible that Finney-Smith could bounce back in 2026-27. If he does, the Hawks could comfortably win this trade. Still, they should be compensated for their risk. They're taking on a comparable player on a worse deal, so there's no reason why they wouldn't get something in return.
Otherwise, it's hard to make sense of the conditions that would lead to this deal.
