The Atlanta Hawks aren't done making moves.
Yes, even this late into the offseason, they're considering all potential paths toward improving their roster, in pursuit of yet another leap in the Eastern Conference standings. At 16 rostered players, they need to get rid of one more before the year can begin.
However, what appears could soon be Atlanta's next move, wouldn't get them down a spot. They would still have to trim the roster after completing the rumored deal with the Charlotte Hornets.
An early version of the trade, however, included a guy who's no longer with the team - eliminating the possibility of that specific version going down, and Atlanta getting below the limit in a single consolidation transaction.
Devin Carter - before being waived - was nearly sent to Charlotte this month
For context, the rumored trade being worked on would send Dorian Finney-Smith - the defensive-minded veteran entering his 11th NBA season - to Atlanta in exchange for Buddy Hield.
A nice little veteran for veteran swap in the slums of the offseason. Don't worry, the regular season begins in exactly one month.
In Atlanta's ongoing roster crunch, the first move they made was releasing Devin Carter, who was ultimately signed to a training camp deal by the Boston Celtics.
Instead of heading to Boston to compete for a title, however, Carter nearly landed in the tricky situation of Charlotte. When Jake Fischer of The Stein Line revealed the details of Atlanta and Charlotte's recent trade negotiations, he added that an early version of the deal "could have included" the former lottery pick.
Considering the fact that Finney-Smith is set to make just north of $13 million this upcoming season, if the Hawks attached Carter's 2026-27 salary to Hield's, they would've successfully gotten under the roster limit in a financially-acceptable agreement.
It unfortunately didn't go through, but it hasn't stopped Atlanta's pursuit
Even if it doesn't get them below the limit, which is still the main goal of their late-summer operation, it's evident that Atlanta is still very interested in the idea of bringing Finney-Smith in.
His contract for the season after this upcoming one is non-guaranteed, so Atlanta could treat it like it's expiring, because really, it is.
If it ends up just being a Hield for Finney-Smith swap, the Hawks would still have more work to do in cutting down the roster, but it would give them a quality veteran as they strive for an excellent 2026-27 campaign.
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