Buddy Hield was the first name to drop among un-happy players looking out this offseason. That has inevitably led to conversations about a Boston Celtics trade.
Could Danny Ainge really be interested in drafting Buddy Hield to the Boston Celtics?
Well, once upon a time he was.
Hield, who was in the same draft class as Jaylen Brown, was brought in for a workout during the 2016 draft process. In that workout, Hield caught buzz among Celtics fans after ESPN’s Jeff Goodman reported he made 85 of 100 three’s taken at the workout. Instead, Boston went with Jaylen Brown.
Let me say now, I am so glad Brown has ended any question as to whether Hield should have been taken before him. Brown is the better all-around player and has had more NBA success. With that being said, though, would Hield be welcomed in to have a complementary role in the starting lineup? My guess is no.
First, let’s talk about contracts. Four years, and upwards of $20 million dollars per year. In order to acquire Hield, the Celtics would have to make a ton of roster adjustments, including trading away one of (if not both) Gordon Hayward and Marcus Smart. Now, I know Hayward has left a sour taste in Celtics fans’ mouths after another injury followed by a poor performance in the Eastern Conference Finals, but do Celtics fans really want to dump him for Hield?
A discussion among popular radio hosts has also been if Smart is bad for the locker room; which to me is laughable. So based on contracts alone, unless you want to dump a combo of Smart or Hayward along with a couple of other bench pieces, the Boston Celtics will not be in trade talks with the Kings, at least not for Hield.
Let’s say you do feel comfortable with dumping Hayward or Smart to get another scorer. Does Hield then make sense? Well, if you’re expecting regression, then sure. This isn’t a knock on Hield, but rather just a fact in the NBA.
When you go from being the star of the team to being the third or fourth option, your numbers go down. We’ve seen it with any big three ever assembled over the last 10 years. The new-age walking triple-double Russell Westbrook failed to average double-digit assists or rebounds this season in Houston, along with a drop in points.
Most recently, we’ve seen it with Boston. When Jayson Tatum is the #1 guy, his numbers have shot up and so has Jaylen Brown’s as the #2 option. On the flip side, as we saw Kemba Walker go from the star of a team to just another starter, his numbers have shrunk. Expect the same from Hield if he comes here. It’s just the nature of the NBA.
So now you’re giving up Smart or Hayward, for a guy that will most likely average 15 points per game as your fourth option. You also give away your cap room and valuable trade pieces and will now not be able to get a center, a position it was made evident you desperately need. Is all of that worth a swap for Hield? Any logical Boston Celtics fan would say no.
Do you want more of a reason to say no? Hield operates exclusively from the 3-point line. Averaging almost four 3-pointers made per game, over 50% of his points are from the 3-ball. The Celtics don’t work like that. Look at their starting lineup or even bench. It’s filled with three-way scorers who are also effective in the paint and from mid-range. Hield isn’t that.
Were you sick of watching Marcus Smart jack up threes throughout critical post-season games? I feel like a bad infomercial. But if you were, then you’ll really be sick to your stomach watching Buddy Hield, who threw up over 10 3-point attempts per game last season. Now, Hield did shoot five percent better, but Smart also shot four fewer attempts per game from downtown. If hearing that wasn’t a big enough reason to say no to this deal, there’s your kicker.
So let’s recap. If you want the Celtics to trade Hayward or Smart, pay an exclusive 3-point shooter $24 million dollars a year, not upgrade at center and take away shots from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, then Buddy Hield is the perfect player to go after. This really is nothing against Hield, I like him as a player. He just is not a good fit for this Boston Celtics team.