Sixers land sharpshooter Buddy Hield to space the floor, make life easier for Tyrese Maxey
Hield, who is a career 40.1% three-point shooter, will provide the consistent outside touch the Sixers lost when they traded Seth Curry to the Brooklyn Nets two seasons ago.
The 76ers got Buddy Hield after all.
One day after sources indicated there was no traction in trade discussions, the Sixers agreed to a deal with the Indiana Pacers late Thursday morning for the sharpshooting guard.
Philly acquired Hield from Indiana in exchange for Marcus Morris Sr., Furkan Korkmaz, three second-round picks, and $1.5 million in cash. The Pacers will get the Toronto Raptors’ 2024 second-rounder, the Portland Trail Blazers’ 2029 second-rounder and the Los Angeles Clippers’ 2029 second-rounder.
In another move, the Sixers traded Danuel House Jr. and a 2024 second-round pick via the New York Knicks to the Detroit Pistons. A source says moving House, who makes $4.3 million this season, enables the Sixers to create a Traded Players Exception and some financial flexibility, especially if they have an opportunity to add a player via the buyout market.
With that, this clears the way for the Sixers to go after Charlotte Hornets point guard and former Villanova standout Kyle Lowry in the buyout market.
Lowry, a six-time All-Star, would help take some of the ballhandling duties from Tyrese Maxey.
But Hield filled an immediate need.
Hield, who is a career 40.1% three-point shooter, will provide the consistent sharpshooting the Sixers lost when they traded Seth Curry to the Brooklyn Nets two seasons ago.
The 31-year-old is expected to be a great offensive fit for the Sixers. He’ll be looked upon to help spread the floor to open up things for Maxey and Tobias Harris. And his ability to score will help take up some of the slack until Joel Embiid returns from a meniscus injury in his left knee.
A 6-foot-4, 220-pound shooting guard/small forward, Hield averaged 12.0 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 52 games with 27 starts this season with the Pacers. He shot 38.4% on three-pointers.
Hield had been a target for the Sixers for some time, but there wasn’t much traction with the Pacers. As of Wednesday, a source said Indiana had reservations about trading Hield to a team it could possibly face in the postseason.
The Detroit Pistons were also interested in acquiring Hield. However, a source said the Sixers and Pacers re-engaged in trade discussions around 10 a.m. before agreeing to a deal.
Hield is making $19.2 million in the final season of his contract. A source said the Sixers enjoyed having Morris, a North Philly native, on the team since acquiring him from the Los Angeles Clippers on Nov. 1. Meanwhile, Korkmaz, who is making $5.3 million in the final season of his deal, finally got his wish to be traded.