Pacers could leverage Buddy Hield into trade for $180 million forward

The Indiana Pacers have started looking for a Buddy Hield trade after extension talks broke down, and there are already some teams reportedly showing interest.

Hield will be entering the final year of his contract and is set to make roughly $19.3 million. As one of the best three-point shooters in the league, it makes sense that there’s a market for him already.

Indiana Pacers could leverage Buddy Hield into trade for Tobias Harris with Philadelphia 76ers

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic during an appearance on “The Rally,” one of the teams to have shown an interest in a potential Buddy Hield trade is the Philadelphia 76ers, and that could open a doorway for the Pacers to strike a deal they were already intrigued by.

Earlier this summer, it was reported that the Pacers had an interest in trading for Tobias Harris, who will be entering the last year of a $180 million contract that was widely viewed as one of the biggest overpays in basketball.

But as an expiring deal, Harris could be perfect for the Pacers. His on-court fit next to Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner is great, and he would be an elite second or third option for the team to grow with moving forward.

If you put his large price tag aside, Harris is one of the best role players in basketball. This past season, he averaged 14.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists while shooting 50.1% from the field and 38.9% from behind the three-point line.

Philadelphia’s offseason has been dominated by rumors of James Harden’s potential departure, or at least his desire to no longer be a part of the 76ers organization.

If Harden leaves or holds out, they could use Harris’ expiring contract to add depth and assets to the team. Bringing in Hield to pair with Tyrese Maxey in the backcourt would make some sense.

The general framework of a deal would be Hield, Daniel Theis, TJ McConnell, and maybe a second-round pick in exchange for Harris.

The 76ers would get a new backcourt partner for Maxey, a solid backup point guard, and backup center depth (and a guy who could be flipped later).

Meanwhile, the Pacers would flip three veterans into a player that better first their current team infrastructure. At the very least, it’s a move Indiana should keep an eye on as they search for potential Hield suitors.