Bahamian National Basketball Association superstar Chavano 'Buddy' Hield may soon find himself on the move once more, as reports surface about a potential blockbuster three-team trade involving Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler.
According to a recent report from Caleb Hightower of The Sporting News, Hield could be part of a trade package that includes Butler, who recently expressed his desire to leave the Heat. Butler’s dissatisfaction led to a seven-game suspension for conduct deemed detrimental to the team’s success.
Hield, a valuable asset with his elite three-point shooting and ability to provide instant offense, has already been traded four times in his eight-and-a-half-year NBA career. This season, he has primarily come off the bench for the Golden State Warriors and contributed significantly during the team’s early injury struggles.
Hield is averaging 12.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per game while shooting 42.9 percent from the field and 39.4 percent from beyond the arc. Earlier this season, he reached two major career milestones, scoring his 10,000th point and making his 2,000th three-pointer in the NBA.
The Golden State Warriors are reportedly eager to acquire Butler to strengthen their roster around superstar Stephen Curry and defensive anchor Draymond Green.
“The point is that Curry, who turns 37 in March, can still be the best player on a title contender, and the Warriors owe it to him to put a championship-caliber supporting cast around him. Right now, they don’t have that, and while this deal wouldn’t guarantee it, it would certainly bring them closer,” Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey opined.
“Butler’s defensive know-how and competitiveness would make him half of a nightmarish duo with Draymond Green on that end. His ball-handling and passing would free up Curry for a few more catch-and-shoot opportunities per game on the other. His slashing would pull defenses away from those Curry triples, too,” he added.
The proposed trade, as reported, would involve three teams—the Warriors receiving Butler and Jalen Wilson; the Heat would pick up Cameron Johnson, Hield, Jonathan Kuminga, Ziaire Williams, and two future first-round picks, while the Brooklyn Nets would secure Andrew Wiggins, Gary Payton II, Pelle Larsson, and a top-10 protected 2030 first-round pick.
Hield, already on his fourth NBA team in as many years, joined the Warriors this summer in a sign-and-trade deal with the Philadelphia 76ers. Despite his short stint with the Sixers, Hield’s shooting prowess has made him a sought-after player.
The 32-year-old has hit 200 or more three-pointers in six consecutive seasons and boasts a career three-point shooting percentage of 40 percent. Drafted sixth overall by the New Orleans Pelicans in 2016, Hield has since played for the Pelicans, Sacramento Kings, Indiana Pacers, 76ers, and Warriors.