Golden State watched 17.9 points a game and a 38.7% 3-point shooter — one especially dangerous on catch-and-shoot 3s — head to Dallas in the form of Klay Thompson.
Enter Buddy Hield, who shot 38.6% from 3 last season (scoring 12.1 points a game), and is known for being particularly dangerous on catch-and-shoot attempts. The Warriors and 76ers agreed to a sign-and-trade for Hield, which had been expected for the last 48 hours and was officially broken by Shams Charania of The Atheltic.
Warriors are sending a 2031 Dallas second-round pick to Philadelphia to complete sign-and-trade for Hield, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. https://t.co/eVehtKrhyM
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 4, 2024
Hield will get a three-year contract, with $18 million guaranteed over the first two years and a $3 million guarantee in the third, plus both a player option and a non-guaranteed — basically both a player and team option — in the fourth year, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
That salary is a great deal for what Hield brings, and with the fast-rising cap in the next few years, this will feel like a steal.
Hield is currently playing for the Bahamas in Olympic qualifying, scoring 24 points in the nation’s opening win over Poland. The Trail Blazers DeAndre Ayton and the 76ers Eric Gordon are also playing for the island nation.
Golden State has now added Hield, DeAnthony Melton and Kyle Anderson this offseason, three quality role players who can fit into their system and provide some shooting, on-ball defense and shot creation off the bench. Steve Kerr now has more versatility and depth to work with, which should bolster the team. However, it doesn’t solve the biggest need of a high-level secondary shot creator to put next to — and take some of the load off of — Stephen Curry.