Dorian Finney-Smith left in limbo after second trade of summer

Last summer, Dorian Finney-Smith signed with the Houston Rockets, in part because he wanted to return to Texas. Now he's buried on the Atlanta Hawks depth chart after being traded for the second time this summer.

Tuesday, the Charlotte Hornets swapped Finney-Smith to the Hawks for Buddy Hield and Ryan Nembhard, in a move that balanced the roster of both teams. For Finney-Smith, it means the team-friendly deal he signed with the Rockets has become a useful trade chip.

Dorian Finney-Smith's contract is useful for Atlanta Hawks

Smith signed a four-year deal with the Rockets last summer for $52.7M, but only the first two seasons were guaranteed. That may have been a concession Finney-Smith made in order to return to Texas, where he spent the first six seasons of his career with the Dallas Mavericks. That team-friendly deal has allowed NBA teams to treat him as an asset, rather than a player.

The Rockets sent three second-round picks along with Finney-Smith to the Hornets in order to clear salary space, which they needed for contract extensions to Amen Thompson and Tari Eason. The Hornets then got two guards, cash and a small trade exception for Finney-Smith, which helped relieve Atlanta's glut of guards and get them another front court player after rookie Henri Veesaar tore his ACL.

Now, the Hawks can trade or waive Finney-Smith if they too need to cut salary, since his 2027-28 salary is non-guaranteed if he's waived before June 29, 2027. That's useful for the Hawks, but not for Finney-Smith, who faces hitting free agency at age 34 in a market that's been brutal even for older star players.

Dorian Finney-Smith is part of deep forward group with Atlanta Hawks

Finney-Smith could certainly help the Hawks. He's been a plus defender for most of his career and shot 41.1 percent from three-point range in 2024-25. Still, it's unclear that he'll get the chance.

Atlanta traded for Aaron Wiggins and Lu Dort this summer, who both play the same position as Finney-Smith. The Hawks have Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels penciled in as starters, Corey Kispert in reserve as a three-point threat and 2025 first-round pick Asa Newell needing development minutes.

Finney-Smith can certainly contribute to a contending team, as he did with both the Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers. However, the NBA's luxury tax restrictions make it so that teams may value the ability to subtract Finney-Smith's salary more than they value his presence on the court.

The Hawks are Finney-Smith's third team of 2026. They may not be his last one before the 2026-27 season is over.