Improving Playmaker
The Dallas Mavericks came into this offseason hoping to land a secondary ball-handler to go alongside Luka Doncic. It is something the organization had emphasized but they have yet to achieve that goal.
There have been some rumors that the Mavericks were going to try having Goran Dragic rerouted to them following his departure from the Miami Heat. After Miami picked up his $19.4 million player option, he was used as part of the sign-and-trade to get Kyle Lowry to South Beach.
While Buddy Hield wouldn’t be considered a secondary ball-handler, he has shown that he can lead an offense in a pinch. When De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton were sidelined at the end of the season, it was Hield who took over as the main playmaker for the Kings.
Hield had at least three assists in every game from April 21st on, a stretch of 14 games. He had at least five assists in that same stretch in 11 of the 14 games as he embraced the lead initiator role.
READ MORE: Predictions for NBA Trade Rumors: Simmons, Lillard, Hield, Ingles, Siakam
Arguably the most impressive thing about that stretch was that Hield still kept his turnover numbers down. He had a single turnover six times during that stretch and turned it over more than twice only four times.
While not a prototypical ball-handler, Hield would at least provide Dallas with some more playmaking alongside Doncic, something they lacked last season.
