The Philadelphia 76ers saw a mass exodus of their players two years ago when free agency began. Basically all of the players who hit the open market in 2024 are no longer on the roster, and one of those is Buddy Hield, whom the front office did not express real interest in signing to another deal — and thank God they didn’t.
Hield went on to head to San Francisco where he played with Steph Curry and company. He actually had a respectable first season with the Warriors, notably giving them a massive lift in the playoffs during their first-round series against the Rockets. Unfortunately for him, that feels like distant memory now, as Golden State has since traded him to the Atlanta Hawks where he has become a complete afterthought.
Dangled away in the Jonathan Kuminga deal, Hield has been rotting on Quin Snyder’s bench. He has played just a total of 26 minutes since getting shipped to Atlanta, and there is no indications that the status quo will change anytime soon. The Hawks are one of the league’s hottest teams right now, which effectively quells any need for his services this season.
The 76ers did the right thing not showing interest in re-signing Buddy Hield two years ago
Hield will eventually go down as one of the best shooters of his generation, if not all time. However, the truth of the matter is his game is not exactly flexible enough that he can still get by despite a shooting slump, especially when that slump has subsisted for an entire campaign.
The veteran’s signature precision from beyond the arc has betrayed him this season. He has missed all of his three-point attempts so far for the Hawks, and for the year (including his terrible start with the Warriors in this campaign), he has drained just 33.3 percent of his triples — easily a career-low mark.
Hield has never been a strong defender nor a heady playmaker, so with his shot not falling right now, there is simply no reason to give him minutes. The Hawks are surging in the standings (even leading the 76ers at this point), and their coaching staff will undoubtedly try to not rock the boat too much with their rotations.
Hield is still under contract for next season, but it definitely feels like the end is near for him. Thankfully, the 76ers rid themselves of any chance of dealing with this mess themselves.