Three NBA playoff contenders linked to Buddy Hield amid trade buzz

The trade market for Buddy Love may end up being a robust one.

Shams Charania of The Athletic offered an update this week on Indiana Pacers swingman Buddy Hield. Charania named three particular playoff contenders who have registered interest in the 30-year-old sharpshooter.

“Dallas, Philly, Milwaukee, those are the types of teams that could definitely use a shooter like Buddy Hield,” said Charania. “They’ve [all] had a level of interest in him over the last several months.”

The former No. 6 overall pick Hield is reportedly now on the trade block after extension talks with the Pacers broke down. Hield is also facing the likelihood of a reduced role in Indiana next year with 23-year-old Andrew Nembhard and 21-year-old Bennedict Mathurin quickly on the upswing.

But Hield, a 40.2 percent career three-point shooter who averaged 16.8 points per game last season, can provide tremendous value as a secondary scoring piece for a contender. All of the teams mentioned by Charania (the Mavericks, 76ers, and Bucks) have their primary offensive options set but a lingering need for a knockdown three-point shooter to give the offense more breathing room. Hield can be just that for those teams, but there is also the possibility that another former suitor could suddenly crash the party, too.