Buddy Hield was one of the most sought-after targets at last year's trade deadline but the Pacers ended up holding onto him. His shooting was a huge bonus for the development of Ty Haliburton and Bennedict Mathurin and the re-emergence of Myles Turner. Indiana knew they had Hield under contract for the 2023-24 season so they decided to roll the dice, try and negotiate an extension and then trade him this season if need be.
Well ... need be.
According to Shams Charania, extension negotiations between Hield and the Pacers have fallen apart and Indiana is now fielding trade offers for, arguably, the second-best shooter in the NBA.
Shooting is still Hield's primary skill but he's become comfortable defending bigger players, adding positional versatility and last year was perhaps the best all-around season of his career — 16.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game with a 61.4 true shooting percentage.
Almost every team in the NBA could use a perimeter threat of Hield's caliber but several of the teams that were most interested at the deadline last season — the Cavs, Lakers and Clippers — have handcuffed themselves with other contracts and probably don't have the assets or flexibility to get in the mix here. But there are still more than a few teams that can't afford to waste this opportunity.
Teams that really need to trade for Buddy Hield: 3. Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks are risking it all on the on court chemistry of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving and need to pack the court with as many shooters as possible to keep things open for them. They don't have a ton of appealing assets to offer in a trade but if they can get Indiana's interest, they really need to make a deal.
The Mavericks won't get a better shooter or a wing threat with more gravity around Doncic and Irving and it's almost scary to imagine what Hield could do working around them — remember, he shot 47.6 percent on wide-open 3-pointers last season. No one is going to do more with the the gravity of Doncic and Irving and no one is going to draw more attention away from them.
The Pacers have almost no use for Hardaway but he's a tradable asset for later in the season and they pick up a 2025 first-round pick which is a reasonable price for their trouble. In case you forgot, they will have to trade Hield at some point this season or lose him for nothing in free agency next summer.
Teams that really need to trade for Buddy Hield: 2. Toronto Raptors
The Raptors haven't actually traded any of their core but they've been exploring all manner of options over the past 12 months and just because they haven't yet doesn't mean they're comfortable standing pat.
At the trade deadline it was reported that they wanted an enormous package for OG Anunoby but it was clear no one was willing to meet that asking price and Toronto is now eight months closer to having to pay his next extension. This may be a stretch and it's not quite what they were looking for but it could work for everyone.
The Paces get Anunoby, a rising star on the wing with special two-way potential. He's older than some of their other core players but young enough to fit. All of a sudden they have the makings of a suffocating defense with Anunoby, Myles Turner and Jarace Walker and a long-term 3 locked down.
To get that, they give up Hield, Nesmith (a potential rotation player they were high on last season) and a pair of picks in the next draft. Neither pick is likely to be particulaly valuable but a pair of picks in the middle of the first-round of the same draft gives the Raptors a lot more options for potentially packaging to move up next year.
In Hield, they get one of the best 3-point shooters in the league, someone who can really help juice their offense and create space around Pascal Siakam and Scottie Barnes in the frontcourt. Hield's next extension should be cheaper and shorter than Anunoby's and this gives them a chance to trade Gary Trent Jr. or at least more leverage with him in contract negotiations.
Again, this is far from the Raptors dream package for Anunoby but it gives them some interesting flexibility down the road and keeps the competitive next season.
Teams that really need to trade for Buddy Hield: 1. Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks need to make a trade — whether it's moving on from Trae Young or shuffling the parts around him to try and create a situation that works better. They've been linked in a number of trade rumors, particularly for Pascal Siakam.
Hield is a very different player from Siakam, both positionally and skill wise, but he could help the Hawks and a deal built around similar pieces could work for both sides.
The Hawks get to run out a lineup similar to what we mentioned with the Mavericks, an elite floor-spacer around two high-volume creators who spend a lot of time with the ball in their hands — Young and Dejounte Murray. Hield has played some 3 for the Pacers and is comfortable in the three-guard lineups. But the Hawks also get Nesmith to maintain some depth and two-way upside in their wing rotation.
Another upside here is that the Hawks shed Hunter's big contract and could presumably sign Hield at a lower number.
For the Pacers, they get two different players to audition as long-term 3s next to their core of Tyrese Haliburton and Bennedict Mathurin. Hunter has struggled with injuries and has a lot of money left on his deal but he's been great when he's played, can move up the positional scale and defend 4s and should be a strong defensive addition. Griffin is more of a floor-spacer and shot-maker but he's shown flashes in his limited opportunities.
