The Charlotte Hornets got a B- from ESPN for acquiring Buddy Hield from the Atlanta Hawks.
The Charlotte Hornets traded Dorian Finney-Smith to the Atlanta Hawks for Buddy Hield, Ryan Nembhard and cash considerations.
Charlotte acquired Finney-Smith from the Houston Rockets, but the veteran was never expected to remain with the team.
The Hornets got a B- from ESPN for acquiring Hield from the Hawks. Nembhard will not remain with Charlotte, so it's a one-for-one trade: DFS for Hield.
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 this upcoming 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. He's one of the best shooters in NBA history.
Hield is a career 39.5% shooter from beyond the arc. He's made 2,201 3s. It will be fun to see him play in Charles Lee's system.
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.
Miller and Knueppel are the new franchise players in Charlotte with Ball and Bridges gone. Both youngsters have a lot of untapped potential.
Miller appeared in 65 games for the Hornets last season, his third year in the NBA. He averaged 20.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game while shooting 43.5% from the field, 38.3% from beyond the arc and 89.2% from the free-throw line.
Meanwhile, even though Knueppel didn't win the 2025-26 Rookie of the Year award, he still had a special season for the Hornets. The swingman averaged 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game and shot 47.5% from the field, 42.5% from 3 and 86.3% from the free-throw line. He led the NBA in 3-pointers.
Charlotte opens the 2026-27 season on the road against the Brooklyn Nets. The home opener is against the Hawks.
