The Warriors have been linked this week to Buddy Hield to replace some of the shooting they are losing as team legend Klay Thompson leaves in free agency.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that they are in discussions to acquire Hield, the former No. 6 overall pick in 2016, in a sign-and-trade deal with the 76ers.
So what exactly will the Warriors add if they bring in Hield?
The short answer is a whole lot of 3-point shots: Hield has been in the NBA’s top 10 in 3-point attempt rate since 2017-18. After four straight seasons in the top five, he dropped to seventh last year, attempting 12.6 shots per 48 minutes played.
Thompson (14.5) was only behind Warriors superstar Steph Curry (17.4) last season, so he doesn’t quite match that volume, but maybe Hield, 31, can be a Splash Cousin of Curry’s if he joins him in the Golden State backcourt.
That volume is justified: Hield has shot better than 36 percent on 3-pointers in all eight of his NBA seasons, including topping 42 percent three times.
It is also sorely needed on a team that last season had no player outside of Curry and Thompson attempt even four 3-pointers per game. With Thompson leaving, the Warriors must replace some of that volume to stretch defenses.
Hield started 14 of the Sixers’ 32 regular-season games after acquiring him from the Pacers this spring, but he fell out of the rotation toward the end of the year as Philly’s roster regained health. He played only 30 minutes over the first five games of the 76ers’ playoff series against the Knicks before coach Nick Nurse rode his hot shooting in a close Game 6 loss.
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One thing Hield does not provide is much resistance on the defensive perimeter. The good news is that his contribution on that end is not terribly different from Thompson’s at age 34 after two major leg injuries. The five-time All-Star’s defense was a liability for the Warriors, as his defensive rating of 116.1 last season was slightly worse than Hield’s 115.7.
For years, the Warriors didn’t have to plan for that problem with Thompson, who freed up Curry by taking the tougher backcourt assignment. While Hield would fill the shooting role vacated by Thompson, Steve Kerr may prefer to start a stronger defender alongside Curry and bring Hield off the bench to avoid placing more of a defensive burden on his 36-year-old star guard.