Should the Charlotte Hornets pursue Buddy Hield?
After failing to come to terms on a contract extension, the Indiana Pacers are making shooting guard Buddy Hield available in trade talks, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. With these trade talks just beginning, should the Charlotte Hornets throw their hat into the ring and attempt to bring him to town?
For Charlotte to acquire Hield’s services, that would mean moving on from Terry Rozier. Even though Hield is slightly older and in need of a new contract, his fit alongside Charlotte’s best player, LaMelo Ball, may be better.
Hield averages one more made three (3.6) than Rozier (2.6) on half of an attempt more per game (8.5-8.1). Considering how much the Hornets struggled in shooting from deep, this would go a long way toward improving in this area. Charlotte’s 10.7 made threes per contest were tied for the third-fewest in the NBA last season, and that is simply not acceptable for a team looking to take a step forward this season.
But it is not just the the one more three from Hield that matters, it is how they are made. Hield ranked third in the league last season on catch-and-shoot threes, with 2.5 makes on 6.0 attempts per game. Meanwhile, Rozier made 1.2 on 3.5 attempts in 2022-23, down from his previous averages of 2.3 on 5.4 in 2020-21 and 2.1 on 5.5 in 2021-22. While some of this can be blamed on the fact that the Hornets were missing so many players last year due to injury, the fact that this is a downward trend over multiple years is still noteworthy.
Even though it is obvious that Hield is a better fit with Ball, and his ability as one of the best three-point shooters in the league is very appealing, the fact that he needs a new contract, in addition to being on the wrong side of 30 could deter the Hornets from seriously pursuing a move. It is about understanding where the Hornets are regarding their competitive window. Charlotte is still a few years away from being anything resembling a winning team, and the win-now nature of acquiring Hield simply does not align with their timeline.
The Hornets are in a position to be trading away older talent rather than acquiring it at this time, and as fun as it could be to imagine Hield next to Ball in Charlotte’s starting rotation, it just doesn’t make much sense considering where the team is projected to finish.
