Buddy Hield’s next stop, if the latest chatter turns into reality, may not give him much of a lifeline.
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Hawks and the Hornets have discussed a trade framework that would send Hield to Charlotte in exchange for veteran forward Dorian Finney-Smith. On paper, it would at least get the former 76ers guard out of Atlanta. In practice, the fit looks messy again.
Hield has already gone from being a useful rotation piece with the Warriors to a player Atlanta barely had room for after the Jonathan Kuminga trade sent him to the Hawks. Once there, he wound up in Quin Snyder’s doghouse, with the team showing little use for him.
Charlotte might seem like a cleaner landing spot, but the roster makeup says otherwise. The Hornets moved All-Star guard LaMelo Ball this summer to open up minutes and touches for their other guards, and that doesn’t point to a team ready to suddenly carve out a major role for Hield.
The appeal is obvious in theory. Charlotte plays with a heavy three-point emphasis, and Hield’s shooting should fit that style. But the Hornets already have plenty of players who can do similar damage from deep, including Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller, Grayson Allen, Coby White, and even Dennis Schroder.
So while a deal out of Atlanta would at least give Hield a fresh start, Charlotte doesn’t look like the kind of destination that would help him rebuild value or reclaim real playing time. He needs a team that can hide some of the rough edges. Whether that team is out there right now is another question entirely.
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