Charlotte Hornets acquire veteran, more draft picks in deal with Houston Rockets
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Jeff Peterson pulled off his third trade in just over a week, further adding to a huge cachet of draft assets.
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The Charlotte Hornets have agreed to acquire Dorian Finney-Smith from the Houston Rockets along with second-round draft picks in 2027, 2028 and 2033, league sources confirmed to The Charlotte Observer on Friday. Finney-Smith averaged 3.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and an assist on 33.3% shooting in 37 appearances with Houston this past season.
A 10-year pro since who went undrafted, Smith has also suited up for the Dallas Mavericks, Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers. He has three seasons remaining on his four-year, $52.7 million contract, but the final two are non-guaranteed — including a player option in 2028-29. He’ll earn $13.3 million in 2026-27.
ESPN reported the Hornets are using part of their $15 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception to bring Finny-Smith on board, which makes sense since it’s one of the many financial avenues Charlotte has at its disposal after trimming salary following the trades of star guard LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges. The former tandem were scheduled to earn a combined $64 million.
The Rockets essentially dumped Finney-Smith in a cost-cutting move after making some free agent transactions, notably signing guard Marcus Smart, and surrendered three second-rounders to the Hornets to seal the deal.
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Finney-Smith’s arrival leaves Charlotte with 17 players on standard pacts and when factoring the utilization of the maximum of three two-way contract slots into account when they are officially filled, that pushes the Hornets up to 20. That means just one more offseason spot is available heading into training camp.
Only 15 standard contracts are permitted during the season, so the Hornets will have more decisions to make regarding who stays and who goes.
With the additional picks thanks to taking on Finney-Smith’s contract, Charlotte boasts seven first-rounders and 13 second-round selections through 2031. The burning question now is when will the Hornets use that treasure trove to go and out and bring in a big-name talent?
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