Buddy Hield and the Indiana Pacers are going their separate ways this season.
Both sides attempted to figure out a potential extension, but a deal couldn’t be reached.
As a result, changes are coming.
This week Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported that Indiana has in fact placed Hield on the trade block.
“I do know that Buddy Hield is on the block after he turned down extension numbers from Indiana in the fall.
And I do know so far Indiana has pretty much rebuffed any teams interest in TJ McConnell.”
(via @JakeLFischer) pic.twitter.com/xZiBJCF5QM
— The Trade Deadline (@_TradeDeadline) January 6, 2024
“I do know that Buddy Hield is on the block after he turned down extension numbers from Indiana in the fall,” Fischer said.
“And I do know so far Indiana has pretty much rebuffed any teams interest in TJ McConnell.”
Shortly thereafter, Shams Charania of The Athletic corroborated that report.
“After contract extension negotiations stalled out, Buddy Hield and the Indiana Pacers have started a dialogue to work on finding a potential trade with another team,” Charania noted.
“Hield is open to a trade elsewhere, according to rival team sources, but no deal is imminent and there aren’t any current substantive talks with any other team.”
Three teams have quietly emerged as the biggest frontrunners for Hield’s services.
The first is the Los Angeles Lakers. Obviously Hield has been linked to L.A. in various capacities for more than two years. Clearly the 31-year-old’s defense (or lack thereof) and inability to create his own shot aren’t ideal, but he could be the three-point threat this group desperately needs.
At the moment, LeBron James is the Lakers’ best three-point shooter. That is quite telling. Hield would help the purple and gold a lot if something could ultimately come together this time around.
If not L.A., the Orlando Magic are another potential landing spot. They are 25th in the league when it comes to three-point shooting and Hield is a career 40 percent shooter from beyond the arc. The synergy there is clear.
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Finally, don’t sleep on the Dallas Mavericks. They have previously expressed interest in Hield, and he could be a perfect piece alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
Between Doncic and Irving, Dallas has enough players who can create their own shot. They need marksmen like Hield to keep defenses honest, though.
One way or another, Hield is getting traded. Where will he end up playing once the NBA Trade Deadline comes and goes? Time will tell.
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A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
