The Charlotte Hornets aren’t done yet. Less than a week after trading LaMelo Ball to Minnesota, the front office swung another deal Friday — this time bringing veteran forward Dorian Finney-Smith and three second-round picks from the Houston Rockets.
ESPN’s Shams Charania broke the news. Plain and simple: Houston gets cap relief, Charlotte gets a 33-year-old wing and more draft capital.
Finney-Smith is still on that four-year, $53 million deal he signed in 2025. But his first season in Houston was basically a wash. He spent most of it recovering from left ankle surgery and only got into 37 games. The numbers were rough — 3.3 points, 2.5 boards, shooting 33% from the floor and 27% from three. Not what the Rockets paid for.
In the playoffs, it didn’t get better. He played four games against the Lakers, averaged 2 points and shot 14% overall. Houston got bounced in the first round.
But here’s the thing about Finney-Smith. He’s not a highlight-reel guy. He’s a defensive utility knife who can guard ones through fours, knows how to rotate, and has been in big moments before. The Hornets need that kind of presence after losing Ball and remaking their identity. You don’t add a guy like this for the stat sheet. You add him for the stuff that doesn’t show up in box scores.
What This Means for Charlotte’s Rebuild
The draft picks are the real story here. Three second-rounders — even if they’re not lottery tickets — give Charlotte more flexibility to move around the draft board or package in future trades. The Hornets are collecting assets like they’re going out of style.
Charlotte’s roster looks totally different than it did a month ago. Ball is gone. Brandon Miller is still around. Mark Williams is still around. But everyone else? It’s a reset. Finney-Smith isn’t a star, but he’s exactly the kind of veteran you want around young players who are still figuring out how to compete every night.
For Houston, this is about clearing space and turning a year-old free agent signing into something. Finney-Smith’s contract wasn’t a disaster, but after an injury-shortened season and an awful shooting year, the Rockets clearly wanted to move on. Getting three second-round picks for a guy who played 16 minutes a night and shot 27% from deep? That’s not bad business.
The Hornets still have work to do. They’ve got a glut of second-round picks now and a roster that’s in flux. But the direction is clear: accumulate young talent, stockpile picks, and build around Miller and Williams. Finney-Smith is a bridge piece, not a cornerstone. And that’s fine.
He’ll likely slot into a rotation role off the bench. His defense should play. The question is whether his shot comes back. If it does, this looks like a smart low-cost swing. If it doesn’t, he’s still a useful expiring contract down the road.
Either way, Charlotte’s front office is staying busy. That’s more than a lot of teams can say in early July.
Leave a Comment