The 76ers should be favorites to trade for this elite sharpshooter

Aside from the tireless James Harden and Damian Lillard bits, no other high-end players have been made available for trades in the last month or so. That changes now, however, as the Philadelphia 76ers can set their sights on landing one of the more valuable role players in the league in veteran guard Buddy Hield.

The latest development was that contract extension talks between Hield and the Indiana Pacers stalled, and both parties will now pivot to a cordial agreement to work on a trade. While the Pacers have shown an inclination to retaining him, they will now have the much-needed opportunity to double down on their youth movement.

The Philadelphia 76ers should be the favorites to trade for Buddy Hield

In subsequence, the 76ers should jump at the opportunity of being Hield’s next destination. At 30 years old, the veteran sharpshooter is coming off one of his strongest seasons yet, registering 16.8 points per game on 42.5 percent three-point shooting despite heavy volume. He canned 288 triples in the previous campaign, which ranked second in the entire association.

Offense is not primarily Philadelphia’s concern heading into next season, but with only a disengaged James Harden at best, the front office should look to shore up the team’s offensive firepower and variance to give them a more robust safety net in light of the former MVP’s impending exit.

Hield is set to make $18.5 million this season before entering free agency next season. While essentially a rental, it wouldn’t hurt the 76ers to try and get him as he will come off the books anyway.

To make a deal work with the Pacers, the 76ers have some variety. They can either send out Tobias Harris and acquire Hield, TJ McConnell, and Daniel Theis, or better yet, they can center the deal around PJ Tucker and pair him with Furkan Korkmaz or Danuel House Jr. — who are expendable anyway after the Kelly Oubre Jr. signing — and sweeten the pot for Indiana with some draft compensation if Philly wants to stand out from what’s expected to be a crowded pool of suitors for Hield.

Ultimately, Buddy Hield is undeniably an elite role player who touts a pretty in-demand skill set. The Philadelphia 76ers are treading tough waters right now as they attempt to abate uncertainty around the team, but the veteran can inarguably help stabilize the rotation and even increase the team’s floor heading into the upcoming season.