Former Florida basketball standout Dorian Finney-Smith is heading to his fifth NBA franchise after the Houston Rockets traded him to the Charlotte Hornets on Friday.
Finney-Smith spent just one season in Houston after signing a four-year, $52.7 million contract ahead of the 2025-26 campaign. He underwent ankle surgery during the 2025 offseason and struggled to find his form, resulting in a dramatic decrease in productivity.
The 33-year-old forward’s playing time dropped from around 29 minutes per game the prior season to 16.8 — even less than his previous career low of 20.3 during his rookie season. He also started just one game, which is well below his previous low of 13 during his second year, further illustrating his struggles to justify his presence on the court.
The native of Portsmouth, Virginia, entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2016 with the Dallas Mavericks, with whom he would spend the next seven years. He also spent three-plus years with the Brooklyn Nets and part of one with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Finney-Smith played for the Gators from 2013-16, having sat out the 2012-13 season after transferring from Virginia Tech. During his three-year tenure at Florida, he averaged 12.4 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists over 101 games — 61 of which were starts.
He led the Gators in rebounding all three seasons in Gainesville, and in scoring in 2014-15 and 2015-16. Finney-Smith was the 2014 SEC Sixth Man of the Year and also the first Florida player to join the 1,000-point club after transferring to UF.
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