Weeks before the 2020-21 NBA season officially starts, the Golden State Warriors took a huge blow on the roster when one of their best players, Klay Thompson, suffered another major injury. The Warriors may still have Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, but to have a realistic chance of fully dominating the loaded Western Conference and reclaiming their throne next year, they should strongly consider filling the hole left by Thompson on the offensive end of the floor. One of the players that the Warriors could target on the market is Buddy Hield of the Sacramento Kings.
According to Greg Patuto of NBA Analysis Network , the Warriors may consider sending a package that includes Andrew Wiggins and Kelly Oubre Jr. to the Kings in exchange for Hield and Harrison Barnes. If the deal pushed through, Patuto believes that it would help both teams improve on their rosters. For the Kings, the suggested trade would allow them to turn a “disgruntled player” into two talented wingmen who could join their young core with De’Aaron Fox.
“If a disgruntled player wants out, it immediately benefits the team to make a trade involving that player. For the Sacramento Kings, it is Buddy Hield this NBA offseason. He has voiced his displeasure with the current situation and feels he would serve a better purpose elsewhere. The Kings would not be parting ways with Hield and wouldn’t be doing it by giving him away. They would get back Andrew Wiggins and Kelly Oubre Jr. These are two young players who would add to the young core of the Kings, including De’Aaron Fox.”
Meanwhile, the potential deal would be very beneficial for the Warriors. Hield may not be as good as Thompson, but he’s currently one of the best three-point shooters in the league. Last season, the 27-year-old shooting guard averaged 19.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and three assists while shooting 42.9 percent from the field and 39.4 percent from beyond the arc, per ESPN . While Thompson is recovering from an injury, Hield could temporarily serve as the other half of the “Splash Brother” and Stephen Curry’s backcourt partner.
Hield wouldn’t be the only one heading to Golden State in the proposed blockbuster but also Barnes. Barnes is very familiar with the Warriors as they were the team that drafted him as the No. 7 overall pick in 2012. During his four-year stint in Golden State, Barnes was an original member of the “Death Lineup” that helped the Warriors win a championship title in 2015 and post a historical 73-9 regular-season record the following year.
