Even though the peak of free agency and trade season is over, the rumor mill in the NBA never stops. According to the latest reporting by Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Indiana Pacers are trying to trade their sharpshooter Buddy Hield after their contract extension negotiations stalled. As one of the best three-point shooters in the NBA, Hield will likely have plenty of suitors. The Washington Wizards obviously don’t need him as Hield doesn’t fit the timeline, but they can still get themselves involved in a potential three-team trade to land future assets.
Hield will attract interest from a variety of playoff teams who need more shooting. He is on an expiring contract with a reasonable salary of $19.2 million. The Indiana Pacers will have a lot of offers to pick from. One three-team trade machination that could benefit all the teams involved looks like this:
The Dallas Mavericks land Buddy Hield from the Pacers and Tyus Jones from the Washington Wizards. This gives them valuable shooting and additional playmaking next to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. In return, they give up Tim Hardaway Jr. and his negative salary, as well as their 2023 late first-round pick Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Richaun Holmes, and a second-round pick. Their rotation gets smaller and weaker defensively, but the talent upgrade could be worth the risk. Buddy Hield’s shooting around Doncic and Irving would be absolutely lethal.
The Indiana Pacers do Hield a favor and send him to an ideal situation. In return, they get a second-round pick and Richaun Holmes, a nice backup center. They also shed salary and save some money.
The Washington Wizards facilitate the trade by absorbing Tim Hardaway Jr.’s annual salary of $17.8 million. Despite being overpaid, Hardaway Jr. could still contribute as a floor-spacer. The more significant return is Olivier-Maxence Prosper, who was the 24th overall pick in this year’s draft. He profiles as a prototypical 3 & D wing with good size, length, and athleticism.
The Wizards get slightly more expensive by adding salary to their books, but it’s worth it to bring in a 21-year-old with upside.
Buddy Hield might require a bidding war, and the Pacers may not part ways with him for this sort of return. However, the Wizards should still try to get involved to see whether they can extract some value in a potential multiple-team trade.
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