The Celtics Should Trade For Buddy Hield
It’s been a frustrating offseason for the Boston Celtics. Losing Gordon Hayward for nothing really sucks. Well, that is unless they don’t use their new shiny trade exception. Boston was awarded the largest trade exception in NBA history when they delivered Hayward to Charlotte via sign and trade.
Danny Ainge will have 365 days to use the trade exception. There have been a number of names thrown around as possible trade targets. One makes a hell of a lot more sense than others. Boston should do their best to try to acquire Buddy Hield.
Nobody knows what the Sacramento Kings are doing. The only reason the Kings exist is because teams out west need someone to play against. That’s it. Outside of filling up the calendar, the Kings have no use for existence. That’s the cold hard truth.
It’s Sacramento’s own fault. When you think of the most dysfunctional franchises in the NBA, the Kings are always among the first to come to mind. This offseason was no different. Instead of matching a reasonable offer sheet for Bogdan Bogdanovic, the Kings just let him walk for nothing.
The Kings clearly do not value Hield either. You would think that if Sacramento let Bogdanovic walk, Hield would return to the starting lineup. Well… not so fast. James Ham of NBC Sports California wrote that Hield is no lock to return to the starting 5. What are we doing here?
At this point, Sacramento might be willing to sell low on Hield just to get rid of his contract. Hield signed a 4-year, $94 million contract extension with Sac-Town that kicks in this season. Do the Kings want to pay that for a guy they don’t want to start?
I’m a believer in Hield. The NBA is a make or miss league and Hield can make it splash. The former first round pick from Oklahoma is an elite sharp shooter. Hield shot close to 40% from 3 last year. He also averaged 19.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3 assists.
The Celtics need someone like Hield. Losing someone like Hayward is a huge blow. Trading for Hield could replace Hayward’s scoring with a more efficient deep shot. Boston is still a piece away from being a serious contender. Someone like Hield could push the Celtics over the top.
3-point shooting has been a weakness of the Celtics. They don’t have that guy like Duncan Robinson who can just hit a bunch of 3’s right in a row to get you back in a game. If the Aaron Nesmith pick works and Boston pulls off a trade for Hield, that area is no longer a weaknesses.
Do the Celtics have the pieces to pull off a trade? That remains to be seen. The only thing that is clear is Boston is short a playoff guy and a trade for Hield seems ideal.
