Report: Indiana Pacers asking price for Buddy Hield trade revealed
By Jack Simone
The Indiana Pacers have cooled off after a hot start to the season. Their offense is still the best in the league, but their defense is holding them back, and some players have begun to slow down offensively, too.
With the unofficial start of trade season (December 15, when most players who signed this past offseason become tradable) looming, the Pacers could potentially look to get involved.
Just before the start of the season, Shams Charania of The Athletic unveiled that the Pacers would look to trade Buddy Hield, as they could not come to an agreement on a contract extension with the veteran sharpshooter.
Hield is still on the team, but as trade season inches closer, he could end up getting flipped. And according to NBA executives who spoke with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Pacers’ potential asking price in a Hield trade.
“Five NBA executives who spoke with HoopsHype said it would take a first-round pick and a rotation player for Hield. If the player is someone Indiana likes, the pick doesn’t have to be as strong and vice versa,” Scotto wrote.
It’s been an up-and-down season for Hield so far this year, and as of late, he’s been rough. That said, his three-point shooting would be a valuable asset for any playoff-caliber team
Through 17 games, Hield is averaging 13.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.8 assists while shooting 45.0% from the field and 39.7% from behind the three-point line.
Hield is in the final year of his current contract, so any team that makes a move for him would have to figure out his deal moving forward, as he will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.
This season, Hield makes roughly $19.3 million - a fairly tradable salary. Most teams around the league could pool together enough contracts to make the money work.
Some teams that immediately come to mind as potential destinations for Hield include the Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers, and his former team, the Sacramento Kings.
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All three of those squads could use some extra floor spacing around their star players, and that’s exactly what Hield would bring to the table. The question is, what could the Pacers get back in return?