Hornets Were Among Teams Interested in Tobias Harris Before Spurs Move

Charlotte Hornets President of Basketball Operations Jeff Peterson is not leaving any stone unturned this offseason as he is constantly looking for ways to revamp and improve this roster.

According to Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype, the Hornets were among the teams in the mix for veteran forward free agent Tobias Harris before he ultimately signed a two-year, $31M deal with the San Antonio Spurs.

Back on June 9th, I made the pitch for the Hornets to pursue Harris, mainly because you know exactly what you would be getting from him. He is super reliable, durable, consistent, and has been a part of a ton of winning basketball. It's the exact type of player this franchise needs.

And heck, even Jeff Peterson hinted at it himself during his exit interview, stating, "It’ll only get better if you work, and I know we have a ton of workers in our locker room. And then at some point, you go get an Isaiah Hartenstein or a Tobias Harris — I respect the free agents those teams signed at the appropriate time, but I think internal development is huge.”

Did Peterson already execute his pivot move?

Mar 16, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Dorian Finney-Smith (2) reacts after a turover during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

On Friday, the Hornets acquired veteran forward Dorian Finney-Smith AND three future second-round picks from the Houston Rockets without having to give up anything. They are absorbing his contract into their non-tax mid-level exception.

It may seem like the Hornets are taking on a salary dump from Houston, which they are, but they are essentially paying $13M for three second-rounders and a depth piece for the bench. Finney-Smith's contract is not guaranteed beyond next season, so if Charlotte wanted to move on next summer, they could do so very easily.

But is that the move after missing out on Tobias Harris? It very well could be.

I know it seems like a massive step down from Harris, but unless they take a swing at Rui Hachimura or Jonathan Kuminga, there's not really much out there to be desired. This move could be the Hornets telling us that, after not landing Harris, they feel the next best thing is to further add to their draft capital while bringing in a season vet who can play the three or four in a limited role. It gives them a bit of a buffer, too, for guys like Liam McNeeley and Tidjane Salaün, just in case they aren't ready to see end-of-the-rotation minutes early in the year.

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