Pacers, Buddy Hield reportedly looking into trade after extension talks fizzle
One of the best 3-point shooters in the NBA could be on the move.
The Indiana Pacers and Buddy Hield are looking into a potential trade after contract extension talks stalled, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania. No deal is reportedly on the horizon, though, nor are there any teams substantively talking to the Pacers.
The Pacers reportedly offered Hield an extension in recent weeks, but the proposal apparently wasn't well-received.
Hield is entering the final season of the four-year, $86 million contract he signed with the Sacramento Kings in 2019, with a $19.3 million cap hit for next season. It's not the cheapest contract, but for a player who spaces the floor like Hield, it could be worth it for a team in need of perimeter help.
No player in the NBA has made more 3-pointers in the past five years than Hield's 1,381 (a stat aided by Stephen Curry playing only five games in 2019-20). Hield arrived in Indiana during the 2021-22 season as part of the Tyrese Haliburton-Domantas Sabonis swap and has continued to do what he does as well as anyone, averaging 16.8 points per game last season while shooting 42.5% from 3-point range. His 288 3-pointers last season ranked behind only Klay Thompson in the NBA.
It's unclear what kind of market Hield could see, especially when he's 30 years old and likely looking for a longer-term deal from any potential trade suitors.
