The Golden State Warriors' decision to trade Buddy Hield was a painful one, to say the least.
Over a season and a half with the Warriors, Hield quickly ingratiated himself with his teammates and endeared himself to the fanbase. He was streaky, and he could be a frustrating player at times. But he was clearly a strong locker room presence and an overall boon to the team's chemistry.
At the time, though, Golden State frankly had no choice. They could not simply accept waving the white flag in a year where Curry could theoretically push them into contention, and Hield and Jonathan Kuminga were their only two trade chips from a perspective of salary aggregation. Hield's performance this season didn't help matters.
But as rough as things were for Hield with the Warriors, they got worse with the Atlanta Hawks. Despite being fully healthy, he played in just seven regular-season games after his trade to Atlanta.
It's clear, therefore, that Hield has no place in their long-term plans. With the NBA Draft rapidly approaching, however, the Hawks could soon choose to eat the partial $3 million guarantee on Hield's contract for next season, avoiding a larger bill and allowing the 11th-year guard to hit the open market.
The Hawks will soon need to make a decision on Buddy Hield's future
When Hield signed with the Warriors, the hope was that he could serve as an additional sharpshooting presence alongside Stephen Curry. Some fans with higher expectations even saw them as the potential 'Splash Brothers 2.0'.
Of course, Hield's tenure started out promisingly. He shot 50.7% from 3-point range over his first eight games in a Warriors uniform. Over the remainder of 2024-25, he shot just 34.9%. Before the trade this season, that number dropped to 34.4%.
Across seven games with Atlanta, Hield shot 41.2% from beyond the arc, but he only received a diet of 7.1 minutes per game.
The Hawks will now be forced to make a decision on Hield's contract this offseason. The day after the NBA Draft, Hield's guarantees for next season will kick in, and he will be owed the full $9.7 million stipulated in his original deal with the Warriors. There's always a chance Atlanta chooses to pick that up and attempt to use him as a trade chip this offseason. With a player option looming in 2027, it's highly unlikely Hield's Hawks tenure extends very far beyond that.
But the expectation is that they will release him by that date, taking on the $3 million cap hit in exchange for roster flexibility.
In a sense, this will give Hield a chance to find a better situation. He certainly still has some gas left in the tank as a bench shooter.
But as the deadline on his contract decision draws closer, it's painful to see how far a fan-favorite has fallen.
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