Bulls-Hornets Trade Grades: Buddy Hield Finds a New Home in Chicago

A few days before training camps officially open, Chicago and Charlotte worked out a deal.

Hield played 51 games last season for the Warriors and Hawks. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Buddy Hield is on the move once again.

For the seventh time in his 10-year NBA career—and for the second time this week—Hield was traded on Saturday, as ESPN’s Shams Charania reported the Hornets sent the 33-year-old sharpshooter and cash to the Bulls in exchange for Rob Dillingham.

Let’s grade the trade for both teams:

Chicago Bulls

Hield appeared in seven games for Atlanta after getting traded there in February. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

• Receive: Buddy Hield and cash

Hopefully Hield didn’t sign a lease in Charlotte.

A few days after the Hawks traded him to the Hornets, Hield now finds himself in Chicago, marking his seventh team over his decade in the NBA. 

Last season, Hield played 51 games for the Warriors and Hawks, logging 7.6 points per contest on 34.9% shooting from downtown. That percentage is far below his career clip of 39.5% from deep—a mark he hasn’t hit since nailing 42.5% of his treys for the Pacers in 2022–23. 

Still, though, Hield remains a threat from beyond the arc. He should have no problem finding a significant role off the bench in coach Tiago Splitter’s rotation that features a backcourt of Josh Giddey, Norman Powell and Tre Jones. 

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Hield’s three-point shooting off the bench is a better fit on the Bulls than what Dillingham could have provided for a team that should be sniffing around the play-in tournament. And if he finds his three-point shot again, the Bulls could always send him to a contender at the trade deadline. He’ll be well-prepared for it, at least.

Grade: B

Charlotte Hornets

Dillingham played 30 games for the Bulls last season after getting traded by Minnesota in February. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

• Receive: Rob Dillingham

The Hornets are capping off a rather bold (and a bit head-scratching) offseason by acquiring the 21-year-old Dillingham. Minnesota selected Dillingham with the No. 8 pick in 2024 to be Mike Conley’s understudy and its point guard of the future, but it didn’t work out. Dillingham never gained coach Chris Finch’s trust. He played over 20 minutes just seven times over 84 games with the Wolves, and was sent to the Bulls in the Ayo Dosunmu trade this past February. 

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In Chicago, Dillingham enjoyed a bigger role but still didn’t look like a former No. 8 pick, logging 9.6 points and 2.8 assists per game while shooting 30% from three-point range. He’ll get a fresh start in Charlotte alongside one of his former Minnesota teammates, Naz Reid. 

For the Hornets, though, they basically acquired Dillingham for nothing. In July, Charlotte acquired Dorian Finney-Smith and three second-round picks in a salary dump with Houston. Then, earlier this week, the Hornets traded Finney-Smith to the Hawks in exchange for Hield and Ryan Nembhard, and now swapped Hield for Dillingham. Per Charania, the Hornets also opened up a $9.6 million trade exception with the deal. 

Nice job, Charlotte. And although Dillingham hasn’t shown it yet, there’s still some upside here. 

Grade: A-

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