With only less than a couple of weeks before training camp opens, the Philadelphia 76ers are still working on the shadows as the front office attempts to re-stabilize the squad. While the ongoing dilemma with James Harden persists, the team should nevertheless remain as a force in the East with some more finishing roster touches on the horizon.
One opportunity that could still be awaiting Philly is the suddenly crowded sweepstakes for veteran guard Buddy Hield. After him and the Indiana Pacers failed to come to terms on a potential contract extension, both sides appear to be moving on and will be finding a way to get a trade done before the season opens.
The Philadelphia 76ers have another opportunity to improve with the addition of Buddy Hield to the trade market
Hield, who’s at the middle of his prime, posted one of his best season yet in the previous campaign with the Pacers. While Indiana failed to qualify for the playoffs, the 30-year-old sharpshooter reclaimed his spot as one of the best three-point marksmen in the league, behind only the Splash Brothers.
With Harden potentially leaving a gaping hole in the backcourt and the offense as a whole, Hield could do wonders for the 76ers as a key rotation piece or a starter. Thus, it’s easy to see why Philadelphia would jump at the chance to snag him — and the reports corroborate just that.
Without further ado, let’s examine a trade proposal we minted through Fanspo’s trade machine which has the 76ers obtaining Hield from the Pacers in a four-player swap.
76ers trade for Buddy Hield in this four-player swap with the Pacers
In this trade proposal, the Philadelphia 76ers acquire Buddy Hield and a 2025 second-round pick from the Indiana Pacers for PJ Tucker, Furkan Korkmaz, Danuel House Jr., Philly’s own second-rounders in 2027 and 2029, and another second-round selection via Portland.
Hield is entering the final year of his contract and will be owed approximately $19.2 million this season. Having drained the second-most three-point shots in the previous campaign, the veteran will be a hot commodity in the trade market, with the 76ers presumably having strong competition that will bid for his services.
Tucker, who started at power forward for the 76ers last season, still has two year left on his contract with an annual value of $11 million, while Korkmaz and House Jr. will also be coming off the books next year.
To better examine how this deal could benefit Philadelphia, let’s dig a little deeper into the nuances of this trade proposal.
Why the 76ers should trade for Buddy Hield with this offer
Despite some perceived one-tricked poniness, Buddy Hield absolutely excels at the one thing he’s known for — three-point shooting. Since 2017, only Stephen Curry has drained more shots from downtown, with Hield trumping even the likes of James Harden, Damian Lillard, and Paul George. Again, offense isn’t particularly a weak point of the 76ers, but more offensive firepower and variance will be pretty welcome for a team exploited for not having such in its last playoff run.
Another area where Philly can count on Hield is availability, which has perhaps become one of the most valuable assets today where load management has become so prevalent that the league has now stepped in to abate it. In his seven-year career, Hield has only missed five games in sum, with two of those coming last season due to rest. For reference, James Harden missed 24 games last season alone.
Now, aside from the clear as crystal merits of landing Hield, the 76ers also stand to benefit from the outgoing assets in this deal. PJ Tucker may still have enough in the tank to remain a vital cog, but is still owed two more years in his contract and has evidently declined, even from the eye test. Furthermore, his absence could open up more opportunities for Paul Reed, whom Nick Nurse has taken a particular liking to, and Kelly Oubre Jr., the team’s newest signing who is a more impactful floor-raiser at the least.
Korkmaz and House Jr., who could very well already have one foot out of the door respectively following Oubre’s addition, are end-of-the-bench guys whose absence will not make the team flinch.
Why the 76ers should steer clear from trading for Buddy Hield
Perhaps the biggest throw-off from this proposed trade is the fact that the 76ers are giving up six assets to get just two. Buddy Hield may be valuable and sought-after, but giving up three players and three future second-round selections may be an arbitrary discarding of potentially useful sweeteners for a bigger trade later on.
Speaking of three second-rounders, unfortunately, the 76ers front office must resort to such an offer due to recent precedence (ahem, Luke Kennard trade) and the reality that the must stand out from an expectedly robust pool of suitors for Hield, which are all rival contenders.
In that regard, the deal even becomes bleaker when considering the fact that Hield will likely be only a one-year rental anyway. Unless the sharpshooter faces a dearth of suitors in next year’s free agency — which is unlikely due to his skill set and more teams having substantial spending power — the 76ers are a long shot to re-sign him due to their commitment to Tyrese Maxey’s extension and other reportedly grandiose plans.
On the actual basketball part, Hield may also just add to an embarrassment of riches that Philadelphia already touts on its backcourt while not really filling an obvious need. Accounting for Harden’s impending exit, the team badly needs a reliable playmaker and shot-creator — Hield has never been a table-setter and is only a tertiary creator at best.
Ultimately, should the Philadelphia 76ers want to double down on making the most out of this season notwithstanding what happens with James Harden, the front office should do more than just its due diligence and make a legitimate bid for Buddy Hield. After all, as what this proposal conjectures, the team stands to gain more compared to what it will be giving up anyway.
Grade: A