Buddy Hield of the Indiana Pacers is not a great defender. Hield doesn’t have great floor vision. He is a non-factor on the glass. What does he do? Shoot. Hield is among the best shooters in the NBA. Because of this, he will find an NBA team that will want to pay him until he is too old to play.
That team is not the Indiana Pacers. Recent rumors have suggested that Hield and the Pacers cannot agree on his impending extension. For this reason, the Pacers are trying to move him. Could they send him to the New York Knicks?
Indiana Pacers receive: G/F Evan Fournier, 2024 second-round pick (DET via NYK), 2025 second-round pick (BKN via NYK)
New York Knicks receive: G/F Buddy Hield
Hield is exactly the type of defender Thibodeau prefers. That doesn’t mean he’ll fall out of New York’s rotation. He can not. Simply put, Hield is too good a shooter for that to happen.
All right. His elite three-point gravity will open up an already strong Knicks offense. Hield can play with anyone. This is a player who can play with two or three. Thibodeau can mix and match his lineups in an interesting way after adding Hield.
In the meantime, like the Pacers with Hield, they may want to get Fournier out of the locker room. He recently told the media that he feels “held hostage.” It’s time for the Knicks to release him. If they can get a top role player in return, that’s even better.