After franchise legend Klay Thompson announced his intentions to join the Dallas Mavericks during the offseason, the Golden State Warriors quickly moved to acquire another high-volume 3-point shooter in the form of Buddy Hield.
The signing appeared to pay immediate dividends when Hield got off to a flying start, posting six 20+ point performances in his first seven games as the Warriors won 12 of their first 15 games.
The Warriors could look to move on from Buddy Hield less than a year into his four-year contract
Since the opening few weeks of the season, Hield's form has mirrored that of the team's as Golden State have fallen two games below .500 and in jeopardy of missing the Play-In Tournament entirely.
Hield has maintained a significant role in Steve Kerr's rotation, but that's more so based on the lack of shooting on the roster and the fact the Warriors have been so depleted by injury over recent weeks. The 31-year-old returned to the starting lineup in place of Dennis Schroder against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, and while he had a solid game with 17 points, his 3-point performance (1-of-7 shooting against the Chicago Bulls on Thursday was more indicative of his his recent play.
Hield's poor form could lead to him becoming a trade candidate before the February 6 deadline, with Anthony Slater of The Athletic mentioning the veteran guard alongside Gary Payton II, Kevon Looney and Dennis Schroder as possible players on the move over the next fortnight.
Draymond Green told the Warriors front office that trading Jonathan Kuminga is not a smart move 👀
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) January 23, 2025
With that, @anthonyVslater says Gary Payton II, Kevon Looney, Dennis Schröder & Buddy Hield are pieces the Warriors might use to get a deal done before the NBA Trade Deadline pic.twitter.com/VMwef080C3
Unlike Payton, Looney and Schroder, Hield isn't on an expiring contract which is likely to make it more difficult for Golden State to move him. The former sixth overall pick is on an intriguing four-year deal worth $37.8 million, but only $3 million is guaranteed in the third year and beyond while the final year is also a player option.
Teams may therefore talk themselves into Hield with only one more year of guaranteed money, yet it's still far more likely that one or multiple of Payton, Looney and Schroder are dealt instead. Therefore Hield may only be included if the Warriors need to find upwards of $30 million in salary, which appears unlikely based on who they've been linked to in recent weeks.
Hield is currently averaging 12.1 points on 37.3% 3-point shooting on the season, but has put up just 9.6 points per game on 31.4% from beyond the arc since the start of December.