Will Buddy stay or go?
By TYLER SMITH (@TylerSmith_ISL)
ISL Editor
INDIANAPOLIS — The NBA Trade Deadline is quickly approaching, and the Indiana Pacers remain as one of the teams to watch. The Deadline is set for Thursday, February 8th at 3 PM ET. Of course, the Pacers already made a huge splash by trading for Pascal Siakam three weeks ago. Will that be their only move? We’ll find out in the next 24 hours.
The big question on everyone’s mind… what happens with Buddy Hield?
It’s been an interesting, and sometimes complicated, career for Buddy Hield. He’s been one of the NBA’s most prolific shooters over the last eight years. He broke the Pacers’ franchise record for 3’s in a season just one year ago. But he’s also never played in a playoff game, is constantly involved in trade rumors, and has been a little bit polarizing for fans and media who can’t seem to agree on his actual value on the court. Whether it’s fair or not, potential “burner” accounts online only add to the uncertainty, especially considering the comments that have been made.
One of the great positives of Buddy Hield’s tenure in Indiana is the man he was traded with. Tyrese Haliburton sees the value in one of his best friends, and wanted to make sure fans remembered that value, saying this after the win over Houston on Tuesday night:
“The one thing people need to understand, is the gravity he has as a basketball player,” said Haliburton. “I know it’s kind of overblown, the talk about Buddy when he’s not shooting very well. But I’ve got the utmost faith in him. He works his butt off.”
Haliburton also joked that Hield is the “second best shooter on the team, behind me.” You know the Pacers star hears all the rumors, and reads all the tweets about his teammate. Whether you think Buddy Hield fits this Pacers team or not, keeping their star point guard happy has always been a key factor here. The Pacers have undoubtedly had conversations with other teams about Buddy Hield. But if they don’t feel the return is worth it, they may choose to keep him around and let this year play out. On the flip side, Buddy Hield has already turned down a 3-year contract extension from the Pacers before the season started, and the team has had more success when Hield’s minutes have been limited. Aaron Nesmith is shooting 46% from three this season which helps the cause if they choose to trade away the sharpshooting Hield.
Rick Carlisle and the Pacers have been juggling minutes and roles quite a bit this season, which is no easy task considering the amount of depth on this team. If Buddy Hield remains a Pacer past the Trade Deadline, the hope is the coaching staff can find the best role for Hield to thrive in. In certain match-ups, you could argue for Hield to play good minutes, stretching the floor and not having a difficult assignment on defense. On other nights, his weaknesses look a lot more glaring and the minutes should decrease.
I will also say this: Buddy Hield has been great with the fans after games and he does have an excellent work ethic. He’s provided plenty of big moments for this franchise the last few years. His shot has been inconsistent this season, but it’s absolutely lethal when he’s on. If the Pacers can find a solid return, I wouldn’t fault them for pulling the trigger. And if Buddy Hield stays here and gets to finally play in the Playoffs, that will be an interesting story to follow as well. We’ll see what happens.
