According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Warriors and 76ers agreed to a sign-and-trade that will send Buddy Hield to Golden State.
Per Charania, the Warriors are exchanging a 2031 second-round pick from Dallas for Hield, one of the best 3-point shooters in the league.
Golden State is expected to sign Hield for $18 million over two years, plus a $3 million partial guarantee in third year and a player option on a non-guaranteed fourth year, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported.
Hield, 31, is a career 40% shooter from behind the arc and averaged 12.1 points per game last season in 84 games for the Pacers and Sixers.
A high-volume shooter, Hield has been in the NBA’s top 10 in 3-point attempt rate since 2017-18. After four straight seasons in the top five, he dropped to seventh last year, attempting 12.6 treys per 48 minutes played.
Although Hield hit 38.6% of his 3-pointers last year, he lost Philadelphia’s coaching staff’s trust and fell out of the playoff rotation — even when the 76ers desperately needed spacing.
Hield is regarded as a poor defender and doesn’t add much, if anything, off the dribble. He projects as a wing depth piece for Golden State, which needs more perimeter shooting after the departure of Klay Thompson.
The wing depth chart for the Warriors, after adding Hield, is crowded. Before any possible further transactions, the Warriors have Brandin Podziemski, Jonathan Kuminga, Andrew Wiggins, Moses Moody, De’Anthony Melton, Kyle Anderson, Gary Payton II, Lindy Waters III and Hield.
If Hield makes $9 million in 2024-25, the Warriors will be over the luxury cap but below the first apron — which they’re hard-capped at. His salary provides optionality in that it wouldn’t prohibit Golden State from packaging players in an additional trade.
The Warriors will be Hield’s fifth team in nine seasons.
Source:: The Mercury News – Entertainment
