The Indiana Pacers are on the hunt to find a trade for Buddy Hield. Shams Charania of The Athletic recently reported the news, revealing that Indiana and Hield could not come to an agreement on a contract extension,
As the season inches closer and closer, it’s unclear whether or not a deal will get done beforehand, but it seems a given that Hield won’t be on the Pacers roster past the trade deadline.
That said, some teams are already supposedly interested in acquiring Hield’s services, which makes sense, considering he’s one of the best three-point shooters in the league.
Dalton Sell of Behind the Buck Pass recently concocted a few potential trade ideas that would land Hield on the Milwaukee Bucks, and one included Indiana throwing in an extra player.
Grade the Trade: Buddy Hield mock deal sees Indiana Pacers also trade Andrew Nembhard to Milwaukee Bucks
The third of his three ideas included Andrew Nembhard in the trade, with both him and Hield heading to the Bucks for a return of Grayson Allen, Pat Connaughton, and a first-round pick.
Nembhard is fresh off a solid rookie season in which he carved out a real role with the Pacers, and he has a chance to build on it moving forward in Indiana. In this mock, he would instead head to the Bucks.
Hield, meanwhile, would fill a gap in the Bucks rotation behind the three-point line, as they could use some help in that area next year and beyond.
Allen and Connaughton would be decent fits in Indiana, but neither necessarily fit the team’s long-term plans.
Let’s take a look at the deal from both sides and grade it for the Bucks and Pacers.
Grade the Trade: Buddy Hield mock deal sees Indiana Pacers also trade Andrew Nembhard to Milwaukee Bucks: Bucks grade
For the Milwaukee Bucks, this deal would be all about improving their guard rotation around Jrue Holiday in an attempt to bounce back after a disappointing end to last year.
Jevon Carter played a huge role for the Bucks last season, but after his departure to the Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee will have to find ways to replace what he brought to the table.
Grayson Allen and Pat Connaughton have both been solid rotation pieces for the Bucks, but snagging Buddy Hield and Andrew Nembhard would be clear upgrades.
Hield’s three-point shooting is close to unmatched, as just seven years into his career, he’s already 29th all-time in total three-pointers made. Having that level of floor-spacer next to Giannis Antetokounmpo and the rest of their core would be elite.
Nembhard would also be a perfect fit for the Bucks. Not only would he be able to give them real contributions next year, but he’d also make them younger overall, which would be great for the team’s future outlook.
The only real risk in this deal would be the potential of Hield leaving in free agency next summer, as that would leave them with a gap at the shooting guard position.
That said, giving up a first-round pick in order to secure two upgrades in their guard rotation would be a win for the Bucks.
Grade: A
Grade the Trade: Buddy Hield mock deal sees Indiana Pacers also trade Andrew Nembhard to Milwaukee Bucks: Pacers grade
On the flip side, this deal doesn’t seem too appealing for the Indiana Pacers. They are trying to trade Buddy Hield, but also giving up Andrew Nembhard would be a huge blow.
Hield seemingly doesn’t have a future in Indiana, as the two sides couldn’t agree on a contract extension, and he will have a chance to leave in free agency next summer.
Getting a first-round pick in return for Hield would be a huge win, but if the cost of that deal is giving up Nembhard, then it wouldn’t be worth it.
Nembhard was a key contributor for the Pacers last season. Not only did he appear in 75 games, but he started 63 of them and could end up being a starter once Hield is traded.
Grayson Allen could be a solid shooting replacement for Hield, and Pat Connaughton is a nice role player, but neither have as much upside as Nembhard moving forward.
Again, getting a first-round pick makes this deal at least a bit intriguing, but even Dalton Sell, the author, admitted that this trade was the least likely of the ones he proposed.
At just 23 years old, Nembhard has plenty of room to grow as a player, and hit fit next to Tyrese Haliburton and the rest of Indiana’s core is too good to give up on in a deal like this.
Grade: D