When they handed him a four-year, $86 million contract extension last October, most people believed that Buddy Hield would be part of the Sacramento Kings’ long-term future. However, as the 2019-20 NBA season went deeper, Hield saw a decrease in playing time and his role changed from being a regular starter into a sixth man. With the emergence of Bogdan Bogdanovic, his future with the Kings suddenly became uncertain.
Bogdanovic may be the one hitting the free agency market, but Hield could end up leaving Sacramento in the 2020 offseason. While they are highly expected to match any offers from other teams to bring Bogdanovic back, there are speculations that the Kings could explore the market for the reigning three-point champion. According to a league executive who spoke to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee , the Kings “will try to trade” Hield this fall.
“The executive believes the Kings will try to trade Hield, but he said that might not be easy. His ball-handling issues and defensive struggles are no secret around the league. The Kings gave Hield high-end starter money and then benched him, which only made the flaws in his game more pronounced. At the same time, the decision to start Bogdanovic might have increased his value just as the Kings are preparing to match offers for him in restricted free agency.”
It wouldn’t be surprising if the Kings trade Hield in the 2020 offseason. The man that trusted and gave him a massive contract extension , Vlade Divac, just recently resigned as the team’s general manager. Also, if they are really to match any offers for Bogdanovic in the 2020 free agency, letting Hield go would make more sense.
For a team that has failed to earn a playoff spot this year, paying a player $25 million just to come off the bench wouldn’t be a wise move.
“I would rather spend my money on Bogdanovic,” the executive said. “He’s smarter and he’s a better fit with Fox.”
Hield indeed has the potential to become a legitimate superstar in the NBA, but he still has plenty to work on, including his consistency and performance on the defensive end of the floor. However, once the Kings officially put him on the trading block, he is expected to receive plenty of interest from teams in dire need of a backcourt boost and offensive firepower. In the past few months, several teams have been linked to Hield, including the Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets, and the Philadelphia 76ers.
