4 Teams that could steal Buddy Hield from the 76ers this summer

Midseason trades rarely net win-now teams a player with much staying power given how clubs in contention typically have clogged ledgers, but the Philadelphia 76ers — which will have the luxury of having the most cap space possible this offseason — managed to snag someone they would very much prefer to re-sign to a longer deal.

Buddy Hield, who was traded from the Indiana Pacers for three second-round picks and salary fillers, quickly showed why he’s the best acquisition by any team before the trade deadline. With the 76ers still reeling from Joel Embiid’s monumental absence and other key players’ nagging injuries. the veteran sharpshooter stood in business as one of the team’s top players.

The Philadelphia 76ers will be looking to re-sign Buddy Hield this offseason

Majority of Philly’s projected practical cap space amoutning to $76.8 million will be earmarked for Tyrese Maxey’s looming extension and the front office’s overarched intention to deliver a third star to complement him and Embiid. However, the pool of targets who truly fit that archetype is wafer-thin, making it more realistic for the front office to simply surround their stars with high-end role players who can be reliable floor-raisers at the minimum.

That being accounted for, re-signing Hield almost seems like a faultless maneuver. Very few players trump his voluminous and efficient three-point shooting in addition to the gravity-altering impact it cascades onto the offense. Put simply, he’s the perfect role player to position around Embiid and Maxey.

However, not everything goes to plan, especially when money is in the conversation. Here are four teams that could realistically steal Hield from the 76ers this summer.