Pacers' Rick Carlisle Reveals Former Guard Left Massive Imprint on Organization

Rick Carlisle is thankful that this player played for the Pacers in recent years.

Dec 19, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle reacts from the sidelines during the fourth quarter against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Indiana Pacers have been one of the hottest teams in the NBA over the course of the last week or so. Tyrese Haliburton and the rest of the Pacers have started to put it all together. One of the games that they recently won was against the Golden State Warriors.

Playing in that game was former Pacers shooting guard Buddy Hield. Hield was one of the players who came over from the Sacramento Kings a couple of seasons ago. Hield, along with Haliburton and Tristan Thompson, were brought Indiana in exchange for Domantas Sabonis, Jeremy Lamb, and Justin Holiday.

Hield was traded away to the Philadelphia 76ers prior to the trade deadline a year ago. Since then, he signed a deal with the Warriors. Even though Hield may not have felt wanted by the franchise late in his tenure, his former coach says he made a positive impact on the franchise.

"He left an indelible impression on our franchise," Carlisle said. "The joy that he plays with, how hard he works. ... I'm happy for him. He's got a great situation here. He's playing for a great coach with great players and he's having a hell of a year."

Everyone liked Hield a lot while he was on the team. He was Haliburton's best friend on the team and was a positive presence in the locker room. He was someone who could stay positive in the face of adversity and helped the rest of the Pacers do the same while he was there.

Trading Hield was the right move for all parties. While Hield's three-point shooting is excellent, his defense was horrible. Pairing him with Haliburton as a starter wasn't going to work. HIeld still thought he could start while he was in Indiana, so it was right for him to move on.

The Pacers made the Eastern Conference Finals after Hield left. Hield is now making a solid impact while he's in Golden State. It seems that everyone is better off after the trade. Hield was someone the fans in Indiana liked a lot as well, so there's certainly no ill will there.

Indiana has improved their defense over the past month, something they have been focusing on doing. The bench has gotten better in their defense, too. If Hield was still a part of that unit, that might not be the case.

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