Buddy Hield, Indiana Pacers
It’s no surprise that Buddy Hield could emerge as a potential NBA Trade Deadline target for the Philadelphia 76ersr now that James Harden is out the door. He’d make a lot of sense considering he’d help replace some of the 3-point shooting and overall offensive scoring that the Sixers lost with Harden. He isn’t the playmaker that Harden is, but he’d certainly help carry some of the load on the offensive end of the floor, making the game a lot easier for Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
The big question is whether the Sixers want to pay Hield. As much as he could be viewed as a potential rental option, I’m not sure Philadelphia would want to burn a future first-round pick on a player who would only play half a season with the team. If they trade for Hield, it likely means they plan on re-signing him during the offseason.
That would complicate this decision even more so. Hield makes sense on paper but does he make sense financially for the Sixers? That will determine whether the Sixers pursue him or not at the deadline.