Warriors Veteran Reportedly on Trade Block

The Golden State Warriors have a glut of guards, so it's expected that they will move at least one of them before the Feb. 5 trade deadline.

Buddy Hield is the likeliest to go.

Evan Sidery of Forbes reported that the Warriors are canvassing Hield's trade market.

Let's break down why the 33-year-old shooting guard is likely to be dealt and what his value looks like.

Why Hield Is Most Likely Warriors Guard to Be Traded

Though Hield has struggled this season, shooting just 32 percent from three, the biggest reason he's likely to be dealt is his contract.

Hield makes $9.2 million this season. The Warriors don't have any other player making between $5.7 million and $11.5 million. And Moses Moody ($11.6 million) is the only Warrior making between $10 million and $22 million.

Hield's $9.2 million salary is essential for many trades. It combined with Jonathan Kuminga's $22.5 million salary would allow the Warriors to acquire a player making $31.7 million.

For example, the easiest way to make the money work for an Andrew Wiggins trade is to give up Kuminga and Hield ($31.7 million outgoing) for Wiggins ($28.2 million incoming).

I doubt the Heat have interest in that trade. I just wanted to give an example of how Hield's salary can be crucial, especially for teams that don't have the roster spots to take back two or three extra players.

Hield's Value Is Lower Than Ever

Hield probably never had much trade value, but whatever it was, it's even lower now.

He's averaging career lows in minutes (18.5), points (7.9), threes (1.5) and three-point percentage (32.0).

Hield has never been known for being a solid defender, but he's been worse than usual this year.

The Warriors are 11.1 points per 100 possessions better on defense when Hield is off the floor, per Cleaning the Glass. That's the worst differential on the team.

With that said, his contract is actually more tradable than you might think.

Only $3 million of Hield's 2026-27 salary is guaranteed. So an acquiring team can eat that cost instead of paying him his full $9.7 million 2026-27 salary, potentially creating vital cap space.

Put simply, the acquiring team will probably not be making Hield a rotation mainstay.

In fact, the acquiring team might view having to roster Hield as a minor nuisance and ask the Warriors to throw in their 2032 second-round pick to complete the trade.

What the Warriors Would Miss Without Hield

I've been critical of Hield's performance this season many times, but that doesn't take away from the fact that he is one of the most talented offensive players on the team.

He can come off screens and knock down threes. He can make them off the dribble. He knows how to attack closeouts and finish in the paint. There's a reason he has over 2,000 threes and 10,000 points in his career.

This season Hield simply hasn't made a high enough percentage of his shots to be a neutral-value player, and the Golden State offense has actually been 4.4 points worse with him on the floor. But the offense was better with him on the floor for the:

24-25 Warriors
23-24 Pacers
22-23 Pacers
21-22 Pacers
21-22 Kings
20-21 Kings
19-20 Kings
18-19 Kings
17-18 Kings
16-17 Kings

Outside of this season, he's only had a negative impact on his team's offense with the 2023-24 76ers and 2016-17 Pelicans.

Of course, no one will forget that Hield had nine threes in Game 7 against the Rockets.

For whatever reason, the good version of Hield has not been showing up this season, so it's time for a change of scenery.