NBA Insider Links Sixers to Pacers' Buddy Hield
Could Buddy Hield be on the move again? All signs are pointing towards the 30-year-old sharpshooter parting ways with the Indiana Pacers after spending just one full season with the organization.
During the 2021-2022 NBA season, Hield appeared in 55 games during his sixth season with the Sacramento Kings. After being a rumored trade candidate for multiple seasons, Hield parted ways with the Kings and landed on the Pacers.
In 2021-2022, Hield wrapped up the season with 26 starts to conclude the year. Last season, he appeared in 80 games, starting in all but seven of those matchups, averaging 31 minutes on the floor. As Hield’s three-point shooting remains sharp at this point in his career, the former first-rounder is in search of a contract extension.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Pacers made an offer. Unfortunately for them, Hield wasn’t pleased with the contract they made available to him. Now, they are working together on finding a trade suitor, and the Philadelphia 76ers have been tossed in the mix.
The Latest on the Sixers’ Interest in Hield
When asked about the Hield-Pacers trade situation, Charania threw out a handful of teams that could be in the mix for Hield as his trade market forms.
“Any contending team — the Lakers were long-rumored for Buddy Hield — but you look at teams like Dallas, Philly, Milwaukee, I mean those are the types of teams that could definitely use a shooter like Buddy Hield. They’ve had a level of interest in him over the last several months, but of course no deal has happened yet.”
It sounds like the Sixers have their eyes on the situation, but negotiations haven’t really existed.
Should the Sixers Reach Out?
Reach out? Sure… It couldn’t hurt.
But to prioritize a Buddy Hield trade is not something I expect from the 76ers at this time.
Philly has a significant unanswered question surrounding James Harden right now. They can’t get an honest look at their roster for the 2023-2024 season until they figure out what Harden’s plans are.
Acquiring a high-volume three-point shooter would be a plus for Philadelphia, but the chances of them landing Hield alone is slim, which means other contracts would hit their books, having an effect on next year's roster-building period.
Plus, if Hield’s priority is landing a multi-year extension to keep him happy, the Sixers’ potential unwillingness to bank on him before the season’s end could cause additional frustration.
Like every trade in the NBA, it would be a risk. Right now, the Sixers have too much going on to gamble on a trade that doesn’t clear up the Harden saga.
