The 2023-24 season is closing in on us and the NBA trade rumors have begun dying down around the league. However, there are still some major moves that could be made, including both Damian Lillard and James Harden trying to force their way into a trade. Could the Indiana Pacers be open for business on the trade market still, especially with a veteran shooter like Buddy Hield?
Kevin Pritchard and company had a rather busy offseason, acquiring Obi Toppin in a trade with the New York Knicks and signing NBA champion Bruce Brown away from the Denver Nuggets. The future is bright in Indiana with Tyrese Haliburton leading the way.
One major question in Indiana over the last two years has been about the future of Hield. With Bennedict Mathurin waiting in the wings for a starting job, Hield could find himself coming off the bench. The Pacers could also opt to trade the veteran sharpshooter.
Rick Carlisle loves what Hield brings to the court, so there is certainly no guarantee that Hield will be moved. Hield also seems to enjoy playing for the Pacers.
Despite those facts, teams around the NBA could use a player like Hield. Shooting is hard to find at an elite level and contenders will pay a premium to acquire them.
NBA TRADE RUMORS & REPORTS: Indiana Pacers, Buddy Hield & NBA Updates
With that being said, let’s take a look at three teams around the league should push to acquire Buddy Hield from the Pacers.
3. New York Knicks
To start this list off, the Knicks are a team to watch closely when it comes to adding elite three-point shooting. That was a major need last season and Buddy Hield would immediately take their shooting to the next level.
New York has a franchise point guard themselves in Jalen Brunson. Julius Randle and Josh Hart are both quality supporting role players around Brunson. However, adding a scoring weapon like Hield would be a very smart move for the Knicks.
There aren’t many elite shooters left on the market. Hield has grown his game as a playmaker as well as getting to the rim over the last two years with the Pacers. Depending on the price tag, the Knicks should absolutely be extremely interested in pursing a trade for Hield.
2. Los Angeles Lakers
Has there been a player more rumored to be a trade target for another team than Hield has been for the Lakers? Just a couple of short years ago before he was moved to the Pacers, Hield was almost traded to the Lakers by the Sacramento Kings. Los Angeles ended up going with a trade to acquire Russell Westbrook instead.
Even though they didn’t get the trade done back then, the Lakers have remained connected to Hield. LeBron James and Anthony Davis could use more shooting around them and Hield would fit perfectly.
NBA TRADE RUMORS & REPORTS: Indiana Pacers, Buddy Hield & NBA Updates
If the Lakers are serious about going all-in on another championship run, a trade for Buddy Hield should be pursued. Los Angeles doesn’t have a ton of trade assets, which could hamper their ability to work out a deal with Indiana. They still have to be included on this list despite the potential difficulty.
1. Milwaukee Bucks
Finally, the Bucks have found themselves in a very pressure-filled situation regarding the future of superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. It’s clear that Antetokounmpo is considering the option of leaving town in the future. He wants to see Milwaukee put together another championship contender.
With that being said, the pressure is on the Bucks to add players to help achieve those goals. They simply cannot afford to hold anything back building their current roster. Losing Antetokounmpo would send the franchise back into the pits of rebuilding.
Buddy Hield is the kind of piece that legitimately can take a team in contention over the top. He can score at a high level and would thrive playing off of a player like Antetokounmpo, who takes all pressure from opposing defenses. Milwaukee has the assets to make a move and should strongly consider pursuing an inside the division trade with the Pacers.
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