Buddy Hilde is also a member of the Sacramento Kings. The confusion stemmed from persistent trade rumours about the University of Oklahoma, kings coach Luke Wharton moving him to the bench, and the team's continued lack in the playoffs.
Now there are rumors of Buddy Hield's deal, and Scott has been reportedly told Hilde is "leaving." The 28-year-old is one of the top scorers in the NBA and he's also a proven scorer.
On Wednesday, he averaged 15.7 points per game, 5.7 rebounds, 10.7 shots per game and 37.5 percent shooting from outside the three-point line. Hield, who came off the bench, was partly affected by the team's backcourt stalemate, including de Aaron Fox, Teres Halliburton and rookie David Mitchell.
Weeks or days until the NBA trading deadline. It was the second season on his four-year, $94 million contract. At the peak of his career and a fairly prolific scorer, Hilde should have had a fair number of trade buyers.
That said, Buddy Hield has three ideal trading destinations in the middle of the season.
3. Indiana Pacers
Walker gets: Hilde
The Kings got: Warren, Jeremy Lamb and the Pacers' 2023 first-round picks
The Pacers are now in the first year of the Rick Carlisle 2.0 era. You have a very talented roster of players, led by Malcolm Brogton, Carlis Levitte, Domintus Sabonis and Miles Turner. Meanwhile, this team has been on the run-off lately and should look for an important deal when opportunities arise.
If the Pacers have a winning percentage of 500 before the trade deadline, they should consider trading Hilde.
Warren and Lamb are both proven players, but also free agents after this season, and their position on the team is also precarious. The former only played four games last season with a foot injury and is said to have problems with former head coach Björk Glenn, while the Pacers want to trade the latter.
Hield will give the Pacers a shooter who can throw the ball to the ground and score points. Levitt and Hield's two-wing attacks coupled with Brogdon's move at halftime will be an ingenious cornerstone of Indiana's offense. In addition, Hield will bring them another legitimate wing scorer.
From the Kings' perspective, they saw how Warren and Lamb fit their plans before they entered the open markets and how their future troubles were out in the first round.
The reason the Pacers want to block the deal is that the Pacers don't want to pay more than $20 million for a player who could be a second-tier scoring option. They may also see rookie Chris Duarte as the future Buddy Hield.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder
Thunder Received: Hilde
Kings win: Ruganz Dort, Isaiah Robbie, Los Angeles Clippers 2022 first-round picks and Oklahoma City 2022 second-round picks
The Thunder can make any trade they want because two-thirds of their players are impressive youngsters, and they could have as many as 17 first-round chances over the next six years. Shields will be a shrewd way for them to allocate these resources through trade.
Gilgime-Alexander is a franchiser and Josh Gieddy has the potential to be a great passing and rebounding guard. The Thunder need more outside scoring, and that's where Shield comes into play. In a way, he can recreate the Style of the Thunder, take more penalties and pose a threat on the outside.
Hield is entering the golden age of his NBA career, which has helped the Thunder bypass the growth of players on some rookie contracts.
Dort is a reliable player with upward mobility, but Hield is essentially an all-out offensive version of Dort, something the Thunder need more in their rebuild. Oklahoma City's frontcourt depth, which includes Darius Bezley and Alexei Pokushevsky, makes it easy for them to move from the position of Robbie and one of the three first-rounder players of 2022.
General manager Sam Presti could close the deal in the winter and still make one or two blockbusters in the offseason. Their draft status doesn't mean too much because they have to cash in on the tangible value of their choices. From the Kings' perspective, they got a pair of enticing players, Dort and Robbie, who could start with day one, and add depth to another first round.
What prevented the agreement from being reached? The Thunder want to leave all their trading chips for a superstar.
1. Washington Wizards
Wizards Get: Hilde
The Kings got: Davis Bertans, Danny Avidia and the Wizards in the 2025 first round picks
For now, it appears, Beal isn't going anywhere, driven further by a group of talented players the Wizards poached offseason, especially Spencer Dinwiddie and Kyle Kuzma. That being said, in the Eastern Conference, there are a lot of teams that are trying to break through.
If the Wizards' performances remain mundane in 2021-22 and barely make it to the playoffs, they should seek hilde.
Beal is an elite scorer, and Dinwiddie himself is a scorer. The other troops on the list, despite their ability, are unstable. Hield gave First-time Coach Wes Unseld Jr. another reasonable scoring option, while also benefiting from the attention That Bill and Dinwiddie attracted.
For the Wizards to be a strong contender in the East, their roster must be offensive. Shields help their offense reach this state. Washington could also see this trade as a way to reassure Bill that they are trying to fight it immediately.
The trade balances the Wizards' roster as the likes of Kuzma, Yatsumura, Garford, Harrell and Kispert will still be in their frontcourt rotation. Sacramento, meanwhile, got a pre-lottery pick from Avdigga, a capable possession and scorer, and an outside sniper from Bertans.
Avdigga and Bertans will complement the Kings' core and improve their chances of making it to the NBA Tour this season. Plus, the Kings got a future first-rounder. It's a win-win player swap.