Hawks Dodge Luxury Tax in Finney-Smith Trade While Hornets Create a Roster Traffic Jam

The Atlanta Hawks just pulled off the most NBA front-office move possible, trading Buddy Hield and Ryan Nembhard to the Charlotte Hornets for Dorian Finney-Smith so they could perfectly park their payroll right before the luxury tax penalty kicks in.

According to Keith Smith, Atlanta is taking on about $2.4 million in the exchange. But the real victory for the Hawks' accounting department is that they now sit exactly $1.4 million under the tax line with a full 15-man roster.

"Keith Smith reported the financial and roster implications of the trade."

Dodging the luxury tax by a million bucks in the NBA is like pulling your car into the garage with half an inch to spare before the bumper hits the drywall. It is a masterpiece of financial anxiety.

On the court, Atlanta swaps out Hield's perimeter shooting and Nembhard's backcourt depth for Finney-Smith, a versatile forward who gives them a much-needed defensive wing. Bettors looking at Atlanta's future spreads should note the defensive upgrade, even if it costs them some spacing on the offensive end.

Meanwhile, the Hornets are now dealing with a roster traffic jam. Charlotte suddenly has 18 players on standard contracts, which is a problem considering the league maximum is 15.

That means the Hornets have to waive three guys just to make this math work. Being one of the three players cut because your front office wanted to absorb Buddy Hield is a tough text message to wake up to.

Keep an eye on the waiver wire over the next few days. Charlotte's mandatory roster purge is going to shake up their bench rotation, and whoever survives the cuts will suddenly see a bump in minutes the next time they take the floor.