The Charlotte Hornets could make a trade with the Atlanta Hawks.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein of The Stein Line, the Charlotte Hornets have discussed a big trade with the Atlanta Hawks.
Stein reports that the Hornets and Hawks have had trade talks centered around Dorian Finney-Smith and Buddy Hield.
"Atlanta and Charlotte, league sources say, have engaged in on-and-off trade discussions at various points this month on trade frameworks that would feature the Hornets' Dorian Finney-Smith and the Hawks' Buddy Hield," Stein wrote. "One version of a proposed trade, league sources say, could have included former lottery pick Devin Carter, but the Hawks elected to waive Carter on Sept. 11, setting up the former Providence star to sign with Boston."
The Hornets acquired Finney-Smith from the Houston Rockets. Finney-Smith will make $13,765,987 next season. He appeared in only 37 games for the Rockets last season, averaging 3.3 points per game while shooting 33.3% from the field, 27.0% from beyond the arc and 88.9% from the free-throw line.
DFS has played for the Dallas Mavericks, Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers and Rockets. He holds career averages of 8.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game in the regular season and 9.3 points per game in the playoffs.
Hield played for the Golden State Warriors and Hawks last season. The sharpshooter averaged 7.6 points per game and shot 34.9% from 3.
Hield enters next season with career averages of 14.5 points per game in the regular season and 10.1 points per game in the playoffs. He's played for the New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, Warriors and Hawks.
It has been an active offseason for the Hornets, who dealt LaMelo Ball and Josh Green to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Naz Reid, a 2033 unprotected first-round pick, three future first-round pick swaps and three future second-round picks.
Charlotte then traded Miles Bridges, a 2029 first-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick to the Phoenix Suns for Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale and a 2033 first-round pick.
The Hornets are expected to start Coby White, Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, Reid and Moussa Diabaté next season. That's a strong starting five on paper.
In this year's draft, Charlotte selected Hannes Steinbach from Washington with the 14th overall pick and Texas Tech's Christian Anderson Jr. with the 18th overall pick.
The Hornets missed the playoffs last season by one game. They haven't made the playoffs since 2016, but the franchise's future looks bright, with White, Miller, Knueppel, Reid and Diabaté leading the way.
