The Philadelphia 76ers drew a lot of flak last year when they went on a largesse in free agency. Of course, there is definitely credence behind those criticisms, but people have completely forgotten about the other part of that spending spree, which was the decision to part ways with a lot of their own free agents at that time.
Turns out, the 76ers made the right call about most, if not all of them. One player whom the front office did not even seriously attempt to retain was Buddy Hield, who had only spent a few months with the team at that juncture. Eventually, he ended up joining the Warriors, which was virtually a perfect fit for him.
Hield’s first campaign with Golden State was rather successful, but the same absolutely cannot be said for this season, at least through the first quarter of the season or so. He is averaging a career-low 18.5 minutes per outing, all while shooting a career-worst 32 percent from beyond the arc. Put simply, he has struggled immensely in this campaign, making the 76ers’ decision look even better as it ages.
The 76ers definitely made the right call with Buddy Hield
Hield will go down as one of the best three-point shooters in history, but there is no denying that he has been flat-out disappointing so far. The Warriors, still very heavy on their three-point shooting, have gotten very little from the 33-year-old, and most signs point to him being on a steep decline.
HIeld’s struggles as a three-point marksman are actually only the tip of the iceberg. While he was never pegged as a two-way guy, he has become such a huge liability on defense. He is also not a reliable seconday playmaker. All in all, there is very little reason for Steve Kerr and his coaching staff to rely on him as much as they did last season.
The 76ers probably saw this coming from a mile away. As fans know too well, he was borderline unplayable when the playoffs rolled in save for that one breakout game. There was a year in suspense, but the Warriors are now seeing how jarring Hield can be when his shot isn’t falling — the value just isn’t there.
Naturally, both sides have moved on given the lapse of two years, but it is still pleasant to think about the 76ers front office doing something right in the 2024 offseason, which will probably still be most well-known as the summer where they decided to spend like a one-day billionaire.