Buddy Hield is finally a member of the Golden State Warriors.
Golden State completed the sign-and-trade for Hield earlier today, despite rumors of the Warriors’ interest in the 6-4 wing circulating since Tuesday. It is the Warriors’ third individual deal of the offseason.
Hield will make $37.4 million over four years with Golden State. The 31-year-old will make about $8.7 million this season and is guaranteed $18 million over the first two seasons, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. He is slated to earn $9.5 million in 2026-27, though only $3 million is guaranteed. Then the $10 million in 2027-28 is nonguaranteed.
While the trade itself is not complicated, there are many moving pieces (mainly future assets), as all three of the Warriors’ “individual trades” are now officially a five-team deal, per The Athletic’s Anthony Slater. Golden State, Minnesota, Dallas, Philadelphia, and Charlotte are all part of the Klay Thompson trade.
So, in the end, the Warriors wind up with Hield, Kyle Anderson, and a 2025 second-round selection for basically losing Thompson in free agency. The trades are combined due to salary cap reasons.
But for today’s portion of the deal, Golden State is sending Philadelphia a 2031 second-round choice via Dallas for Hield.
Hield is coming off the least productive season since his rookie campaign in 2016-17. Hield averaged 12.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 82 contests. Still, he made 2.6 3-pointers a game with 43.6/38.6/88.1% splits. He produced one double-double and scored in double-figures 56 times, topping the 20-point mark on eight occasions and hitting 30 points once.
Hield is currently competing for the Bahamas national team in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Spain. The Bahamas is coached by Warriors assistant Chris DeMarco, who The Athletic’s Shams Charania called a helpful ally in Hield’s recruitment.
Charania added that Hield chose Golden State over other suitors, such as Detroit and Los Angeles Lakers, because of the opportunity to win.
Hield is one of the best 3-point snipers in the game today, and he goes to the Bay Area on a very team-friendly deal. Plus, the Warriors only surrendered a down-the-line second-round draft choice that they received from the Mavericks.
Hield made $19.8 million this past season. He and Anderson certainly make up for the loss of Thompson. Hield ranks 10th among active players in 3-pointers made, 11th in 3-point attempts (1924), and 13th in 3-point percentage (40%). He also has the 49th-best effective shooting field percentage (55.1%) in NBA history.
Golden State has 14 players on standard contracts, just $883,206 under the NBA’s first tax apron. The Warriors are unlikely to sign another player unless they move on from Gui Santos, who has a nonguaranteed deal. The Warriors have also filled two of their three two-way spots.
Philadelphia got a throw-away future pick, as it is a second-round choice way down the line. While the 76ers could have also used Hield’s shooting, he was cast out of the rotation in the playoffs last season and was likely too pricey for the Sixers anyway.
Philadelphia has nine players on standard contracts with allocations totaling $167.8 million. Therefore, the Sixers are $21.1 million under the punitive second tax line. They have some flexibility with Paul Reed ($7.7 million) having a nonguaranteed deal. It was previously reported that the 25-year-old likely won’t be on the Sixers come the start of the season.
The 76ers have a lot of work to do this offseason. They need to add at least five players and sign two-way deals after filling one of those spots with 19-year-old undrafted free agent Justin Edwards.
Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports reported that the Sixers are interested in unrestricted free agent Caleb Martin, though he said that Martin could be out of their price range. Marcus Morris and Haywood Highsmith are a few players in which Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer is hearing the Sixers have expressed interest.
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype added Dorian Finney-Smith, Kyle Lowry, Reggie Bullock, and Lester Quinones. Additionally, Scotto said that second-round selection Adem Bona is expected to receive a standard deal.
