A former Philadelphia 76ers sharpshooter is on the move. Buddy Hield was once a guy that Sixers fans spent seasons begging for, as they wished for his three-point shooting value. Now, he's an ex-player bouncing around the league and hardly posing a threat.
The Atlanta Hawks are agreeing to send Hield to the Charlotte Hornets, along with Ryan Nembhard and cash, in order to acquire Dorian Finney-Smith, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. The Hornets are a rising squad that might benefit from floor spacer such as Hield, but if you're the 76ers, this trade doesn't move them much.
The Sixers are one of many to find out
There are players in the NBA who are simply tricky. Some high value gets flashed, but it's not maintained over a long period of time.
When the 76ers added Hield from the Indiana Pacers during the 2023-2024 NBA season, he looked incredible out of the gate. Although he simmered down a bit after a hot start, Hield still posted quality numbers.
In 32 games, the veteran shot 38.9% from three, averaging 12.2 points per game. The Sixers offered Hield his first set of postseason action in his career. He struggled to stay within the team's postseason rotation, appearing in just four of six games. He averaged 5.5 points in 12.7 minutes off the bench. The Sixers struck a sign-and-trade to send Hield to the Golden State Warriors, who would be the next team to cast him out during his second season with the squad.
Last season, Hield played in 44 games with the Warriors. He struggled from three, hitting on just 34.4% of his shots to average 8.0 points off the bench. When he got to the Atlanta Hawks, their playoff-ready team didn't have a role for him. Hield appeared in seven games with an average of 7.3 minutes. In the playoffs, he made just two appearances. The Hawks are sending the remainder of his $37.7 million contract to Charlotte.
The Hornets aren't moving the needle
Charlotte made some notable gambles this offseason and should certainly still be in the Eastern Conference playoff hunt, but a Hield addition shouldn't threaten the Sixers based on what they know.
A lack of experience in North Carolina, coupled with a major loss in LaMelo Ball, still leaves a lot of question marks about the Hornets' true contender status for the upcoming season. This deal won't be anything that moves the needle for Charlotte just yet.
Add us as a preferred source on Google