Two rising Eastern Conference teams, the Charlotte Hornets and Atlanta Hawks, are reportedly in discussions regarding a trade that would swap key role players ahead of the upcoming season.
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Hornets and Hawks have engaged in on-and-off trade talks that would send Buddy Hield to Charlotte and land Dorian Finney-Smith in Charlotte.
"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," Fischer reports.
Hield and Finney-Smith coming off career-worst seasons
Both players are still under contract for at least a couple more years.
Hield has two years remaining on his current four-year, $38 million deal.
He's set to earn around $9.6 million this season and has a player option worth nearly $10.1 million for the 2027-28 season.
Meanwhile, Finney-Smith has three years remaining on his current contract after signing a four-year, $53 million deal with the Houston Rockets last summer.
The third year is a player option for Finney-Smith, who will earn around $13.3 million in each of his remaining contract years.
Despite his lucrative contract, the 33-year-old forward struggled last season with Houston, which ultimately led to him being traded this summer.
In 37 appearances last season, he averaged 3.3 points and 2.5 rebounds in around 18 minutes per game, which is significantly lower than his numbers from the prior season with the Los Angeles Lakers, when he averaged 7.9 points and 3.6 rebounds while playing a key role on both ends of the court in 28 minutes per game.
On the other hand, Buddy Hield also had what was likely the worst season of his career so far with the Golden State Warriors and the Atlanta Hawks.
In 51 total appearances last season, the sharpshooter averaged a career-low 7.6 points and 2.3 rebounds on 34.9% three-point shooting.