Well, it finally happened. The Golden State Warriors finally moved on from Jonathan Kuminga after a long saga, while also moving on from the eminently popular Buddy Hield in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks that brings Kristaps Porzingis to the franchise.
The trade comes as a surprise given all the rumors recently tied the Warriors to Giannis Antetokounmpo, but instead the Warriors get Porzingis, a big man who was drafted fourth overall by the New York Knicks in 2015 and who has bounced around a ton since.
Kuminga's departure is not a huge shock, but the fact the Warriors traded Hield now is a bit laughable considering they had an opportunity do so during the offseason.
Warriors may be regretting not trading Buddy Hield sooner
Hield was one of the most well-liked players on the Warriors. His fun energy and positivity made him a very popular teammate and his comedy partnership with Jimmy Butler was always a delight. However, his play on the court was impossible to overlook this season.
The streaky shooter was averaging just eight points per game this season, down from 11 in his first year with the franchise. Plus, his shooting percentage from 3-point range was the worst of his career at 34.4%.
His recent play made it seem like he could be traded, especially since his roughly $9.2 million salary could be a better match in trades with other teams.
Golden State ultimately resisted calls to trade Hield in the offseason. The veteran was really streaky in his first season with the Warrior, starting hot before cooling off as the regular season progressed.
Yet when the chips were down he delivered a clutch performance against the Houston Rockets in Game 7 of the first round of the playoffs last season. Hield put up 33 points and made 9-of-11 attempts from three to help lead the Warriors to victory -- a memorable performance that will live in the hearts of Warrior fans.
Hield started this season strong with a good showing in the first game of the season against the Los Angeles Lakers, but he's since gone through long stretches where he hasn't been productive and ultimately fell out of Steve Kerr's rotation as a result.
It makes one wonder if the Warriors could have gotten more for Hield in the offseason when his value was a little higher after the playoff heroics?
However, Golden State were still at least able to pair him with Kuminga to land Porzingis. Maybe it will help the Warriors get back on the right track, but there may be some lingering regret with the way they handled the veteran sharpshooter.