As the Sacramento Kings enter what appears to be an extremely abbreviated offseason in the coming months, one question stands perhaps above all others for Monte McNair: where does Buddy Hield fit in Sacramento?
Hield’s situation is complicated for a myriad of reasons. If the Kings were ready to win now, his contract, attitude, and defensive lapses would be more than acceptable, but Sacramento likely won’t be close to the playoffs next year, or even the year after next. Instead, the Kings have become an aging, expensive albatross that boasts few future assets outside of De’Aaron Fox, Marvin Bagley, and their own future draft picks. Buddy will turn 28 before the start of next season, and paying $86 million for a one-dimensional shooter who isn’t going to propel them to the playoffs may not make a whole lot of sense for this franchise. In fact, trading out of his contract for future first rounders or young players would not only help restock the asset cupboard, but it would also indirectly push the Kings toward a better selection in the stacked 2021 draft: incidental tanking, if you will.
There’s also the Bogdan Bodganovic factor at play. It’s unlikely that the Kings want to invest $40+ million per year in two average starting shooting guards, meaning one (or both) of them is probably headed out the door sooner rather than later. If Monte McNair values both players approximately the same, it may be easier to keep Bogi, as he’ll make far less cash and is a more versatile player, while his return in a sign-and-trade would be far less promising that that of Hield in the open market.
However, Buddy is also a player whose value has perhaps never been more depreciated than at this very moment. Under Dave Joerger, he looked like a contributor who would find his place in the tier just below perrenial All-Stars, but his miscasting under Luke Walton saw that progress halted and reversed. Hield’s counting numbers were solid in 2019, 19 points, 5 boards, and 3 assists per game on 40% shooting from deep on over 9 three-point attempts per game, but his regression under Walton’s tutelage was obvious to all who watched. Opposing General Managers may be willing to assign Hield’s struggles to Sacramento’s tomfoolery, but they would also be justified in offering a lower price point for an asset that has clearly diminished in value, both due to lower production and a much more expensive contract.
And that’s the question Monte McNair must answer. Should he ship Hield out on draft night or during the offseason to move on from his contract, unlock future flexibility, and gain cheap, young assets, or should he try to gain Buddy’s trust, rebuild his value through competent play, and deal him down the line, even at the deadline?
Which would you rather: trade Buddy Hield now or keep him and try to rebuild his value?
I don’t trust Walton to rebuild his value again.
And I don’t trust Buddy to shut up and be a good soldier if things don’t go his way.
The time is now.
I’m with you. I’m kinda skeptical about Buddy this season, especially with Luke coaching.
One thing I am afraid of Buddy requesting a trade sometime this season. That would immediately tank his tradable value. Better to move him sooner than later.
You’re right. There is a possibility. Mcnair has to make a tough decision regarding our SGs or we risk paying both a premium.
Change the culture. He can go try to coach the effin team in Minny or Milwaukee. Fire some cross court passes to the guy selling brats in the stands. Get the number of touches per quarter included in that bloated contract and shoot some falling out of bounds 40 footers.
I would definitely try to rebuild his trade value. I can’t see it getting much lower than it is now, and I don’t think we’re getting much back in return at this point.
The glimmer of hope for me is Alvin Gentry taking over the offensive schemes while Walton focuses on whatever else he does. Just 20 games of Hield being used correctly would significantly alter his value, enough for us to net some good asset(s).
I think the league on a whole knows his value, and most other teams would know how to maximize his skillset. Walton is the issue.
IMO, his future in regards to the Kings hinges on Bogi. If the Kings intend on matching any offer for him, you might as well decide that one of the has to go. As stated in the article, there is no need for the Kings to have two expensive and average SGs on the roster. From that, I feel it is wise for the Kings to explore trading Buddy because Bogi will the cheaper alternative. In this years suppressed market the Kings could likely save anywhere form $5-$10M per year on Bogi as opposed to Buddy. Where Buddy is on a 4 year $85m deal, I think the Kings could get Bogi on something like a 4 year $60M deal, or even less than that. It is entirely possible that Bogi missed his opportunity for his 4 year $51M extension a year ago.
I should mention that I feel Bogi’s overall skillset is better than Buddy’s. Buddy is singularly good at 3pt shooting, but that skill isn’t as rare as it used to be, especially at his price. What the Kings need to do is find a buyer that really needs his skill to take their team to the next level. Philly is that team and I feel there is just some kind of deal read at the door when the time comes.
Definitely agree with you about Walton being the issue here.
On another note, one of the things about Buddy that would make me think of keeping him over Bogi is his health. I know he’s a senior citizen, but he has hardly missed any games his entire career, whereas Bogi has missed a good amount. Maybe that’ll change, I don’t know…
best take on the Buddy Hield situation I’ve seen to date. The league knows his value and his disposition in regards to his current team. Nothing much is going to change that and Bogi is likely the better value (depending on the contract, of course) for his versatility and ability to provide some of the shooting we’d miss if Buddy were traded.
My guess is that the Kings will treat it much the same as the Walton situation. That is, for now they’ll roll with what they have until a viable alternative presents itself and / or hedge for improvement, whether that be implementing Buddy in a more strategic fashion designed to hide his flaws and showcase his positives or limiting his PT or whatever.
I hope for prudence, regardless, and that somehow McNair finds a way to take advantage of the situation, whether long term or short. The days of this team getting fleeced of its assets need to be over.
Whenever there’s a decent offer, I’d do it. It’s more likely to happen later when fewer years remain on his contract. Keep Bogi either way. They play different positions. One is a playmaking guard, the other is a wing shooter. If the Spurs can get away with playing Lonnie Walker at the 3 and DeRozan at the 4, Sacramento can play Buddy at the 3 for now.
Did the Spurs really get away with DeRozan at the 4 though? Also, they have Coach Pop, the Kings Walton.
They kicked the crap out of the Kings with that lineup. But the point is, the Kings can run with Buddy as a wing off the bench for a year or two if they have to because it’s easier to trade a 2/40 contract than a 4/85 contract. Just resign Bogdan, add another playmaker with the #12 pick, and possibly another playmaker at #35.
His value is cratered. If you go on the trade and transactions forum of realgm many have him near neutral or even negative
his value is down with the benching, advanced stats and contract in the face of the cap possibly lowering
That being said he is underrated by Kings fans. He is a 20/5/3 on excellent splits who has the work ethic to possibly continue to smooth out his defensive/turnover short comings. I’d rather have him than inconsistent, no-presence-as-a-starter Bogdan
the juxtapositin for me is is I want the team to tank and go young. In the end, I’d try to get value for Bogdan in a sign and trade and let buddy rehab value
I think that Buddy’s contract is negative at this point, and the Kings would have to trade a first round pick to get off of Hield’s contract right now. If the team waits, they may be able to exchange for another player that’s in the bad contract category that doesn’t hurt team chemistry as much. The team won’t be able to win in a stacked Western Conference next year anyway.
He’s a rotation player that’s being paid like a 2nd/3rd star on a team. His weakness defensively combined with his inability to create his own shot keeps him from being more that a role player. Why would a playoff team pay $20M+ per year for someone like Hield?
Disregarding the Walton factor, I’d try to rebuild and keep him. He simply needs to be utilized properly.
That being said, I’m not confident that Walton can properly coach him and if McNair wants to move Buddy, now is the time.
layduhhh Buddy.
The aggravating thing is that Hield’s skillset would complement Fox in the backcourt perfectly if he were utilized properly. Hield is Rip Hamilton in style, not Brandon Roy. He should be moving without the ball (as he was under Joerger) & benefitting from multiple screens.
If McNair can get it through Walton’s thick skull that there’s a better way to weaponize Hield, keep him. And given the roster, it doesn’t have to be an either/or with Bogi. Plenty of minutes for Bogi at both the 2 & 3, even with (a properly utilzed) Hield starting alongside Fox.
Walton is such a weird choice for the front office to stick with.
He really must know where Matina buried the bodies. Otherwise it just don’t make no damn sense.
I actually think that owner finances are going to come into play more than maximizing asset value here. As in, there probably isn’t as much money as we would like to believe to spend on players. Buddy’s signed, Bogi’s not.
But then again, maybe not. I’ve been surprised before. But it’s pretty rare, and I think owner resources, not the asset value of Buddy vs Bogi is going to be the main issue the Kings are facing this offseason.
I think the Kings are very likely to take a bad deal for Buddy or let Bogi walk because of ownership finances.
I read owner fiancées and was confused for a moment.
A very confusing idea, indeed.
I only agree to an extent.
Although Hield’s offensive game complements Fox, today’s game puts an emphasis on ballhandlers. Hield’s limitations also limit the teamm’s offense, since he plays at a position that usually gives you playmaking. Hield lacks severely in that category.
Defensively, he does not complement Fox at all, and Fox is a liability on defense by himself. Putting Hield next to him is hoping that their offense is so good that it offsets their defense. That is a tall task.
This. Fox and Buddy do theoretically complement each other exceptionally well on offense. Certainly not on defense. But the bigger issue is that the point isn’t creating the best two-man guard pairing. It’s building the best 5-man rotations. A Fox/Buddy pairing necessitates:
A. At least 1, if not 2, above average wing/front court playmakers.
B. Multiple high IQ wing/front court above average versatile switchable defenders that can also protect the rim.
Trade now.
I would also trade every veteran on the team including S&T for Bogdanovic. Let the tankmaster combo of Walton and Bagley work their magic for a year and get into the Cunningham sweepstakes.
Let Walton take the fall and jettison Bagley off to some suckass org. who buys into his counting stats even though they won 15 games because they game him an increased role (Knicks anyone?).
If we don’t factor Walton into the equation, then keep Hield and try get him to buy into whatever McNair has in mind and go from there. He has elite shooting which is lacking on this roster, even if the rest of his game needs more work. If after some time it still doesn’t work well enough then there is still the option to trade since Hield has his payday and probably can’t be trusted to toe the company line with the press. Not that I fault him for that either.
However, since Walton is pretty much the biggest factor in this then it’s probably the best time to go the trade route. I’m not sure Walton can be trusted to put Hield in situations in game that play to his strengths without also showcasing his weaknesses. I agree with RobHessings take of he’s a Rip Hamilton type that moves without the ball, but that hasn’t been the way Walton has used him and lead us to this point.
Work out the best trade we can get before someone spills something to the media that drops whatever value there is.
I would’ve liked to have seen Walton gone and keep Buddy, but since we aren’t going that route yet I don’t see an option where Hield’s trade value doesn’t tank because one doesn’t keep their mouth shut and the other doesn’t suck at coaching.
I don’t know how you would rebuild his value. He’s been exposed as something of a one-trick pony. On the plus side he shoots well. On the mine side he doesn’t handle the ball well, doesn’t defend well and right now he’s a little bit of a malcontent in that he doesn’t like being a non starter and would rather be somewhere else. I think the only way to fix all that is say bye bye.
mine=minus
Based on the simple fact that Luke Walton will fail to utilize him correctly. Trade him as soon as possible . It feels as if Buddy is ready to leave rather than address his weaknesses. His value will most likely go down if he stays.
I would have a target value for him, say pick #8 or better with no long term salary back. If I get that, I trade him now. If my value isn’t met rebuild his value along with MBIII, wait and see, decide new value at deadline….
This should always be the case, rather than trade or don’t trade. It’s more about what you’re getting in return.
i would target the 2021 or 2022 draft assets more than this year’s. Win-now teams get confident that if they add 1-2 right pieces, they’d be contenders and won’t be giving up much in the draft. Capitalise on that optimism.
I agree that on the offensive end Walton did use Buddy improperly, but it doesn’t negate that Buddy is a poor ball handler, below average passer and a poor defender. If his shot isn’t falling he’s a liability, he doesn’t bring anything else to the table.
I don’t have a clue as to what the Kings should do. But I’m not sure the tear it down and rebuild method is wise. I think part of the problem in years past with rebuilds is that there were no valuable veterans to help guide the talented youngsters.
What I wonder is if McNair will be itching to make a move. Making moves for the sake of making moves is a bad idea. The great equalizer is time, and because, IMO, there is no longer such a thing as a bad contract in the NBA (there are less valuable assets and more valuable assets really) due to the fact that the worst contracts are generally just 4 years, it’s really hard to justify making a move for changes sake.
In otherwords, I’m not sure there’s much to do really. If you get a move that you think improves the Kings, you do so. But rarely does that happen, and is it wise to tear it all down and rebuild again? Just for more hope?
I wouldn’t be mad if Monte McNair just stood pat, took whomever he likes best at 13, re-signed Bogdanovich and called it a day. It’s easy to confuse activity for achievement, and I think trading Buddy Hield without attempting to see how things work out in the future first isn’t wise unless there’s a clear upgrade you think makes sense.
But, again, I don’t really have a strong feeling as to whether Buddy Hield should be traded or not. I’m just not convinced that doing a deal is absolutely a must. Can the Kings be that much progressively worse, have that much more drama or be that more frustrating than they’ve already been? I’m guessing, but probably not. There’s a lot more to gain than to lose by holding onto Buddy if you aren’t getting the deal you want.
I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s less noise in the ‘offseason’ than plenty would like to see at this point.
Agreed. McNair should not just make trades for the sake of change. He should make trades that he thinks will help the team in the long term. If there is nothing great on the table for Buddy then the best option might be to keep him and try to rebuild his value before trading or deciding to keep him long term. I do have some hope that McNair and Gentry can change the way Walton used Buddy last year.
And give that Buddy’s value is at an all-time low now, unless you’re getting an unexpected offer, just stand pat and wait it out. His contract gets less bad with time, and if we’re not contending soon, we don’t need the cap space.
This is great sarcasm; rec’d!
I think there is merit to this idea. Assuming you can sign Bogi to decent deal. If the team fails to flatter then you can start making deals to restart making the roster
Personally I’d say the last fifteen years as a Kings fan has taught me to no longer hope for players to transform into something they’re not.
Flip Buddy and build what you want. Let’s get the party started. I’ve seen enough of Buddy’s low BBIQ, he wouldn’t be on my list of build arounds.
It depends on what offers the Kings get for Buddy.
This is always the right answer. It depends on the return. There are zero players on the Kings that should be considered untouchable, so they should all be available for the right return.
I wonder what a Buddy to Sixers trade could look like. I think we’d need to have Horford coming back to make the salaries work. If Thybulle is off the table, I think I’d be fine with something like: Buddy and Parker for Horford, Korkmaz, Milton, and pick #21 this year.
And I think that might be more representative of Buddy’s value under his current contract. Seems fair for both sides…
Yeah, I’d probably do that deal. Milton is kinda of the previous slightly poorer man’s version of Haliburton but on a crazy cheap deal (he has about 3yr/6MM left on it). I think Korkmaz has some interesting skills and would theoretically fill a very similar role as Nesmith would. The biggest thing is you’re bringing back 3 guys with varied, but all present, degrees of BBIQ and passing ability. And I like that #21 pick. If there were to make that deal, I’d be looking even harder to move the 12 for a couple later/future picks and/or assets.
Yeah I think Milton’s pretty under-rated, and would fit that backup PG role nicely. Korkmaz, as you said, could fit in as well while adding some size as our backup SG slot.
And although I’m not advocating that Bagley should be considered a player to build around… if you were going to pair him up with an ideal frontcourt partner, you could do a lot worse than Horford.
McNair wants faster pace without being reckless right?
Buddy can play in that style well, so let him play well for a while, build up more interest from the competition, then trade at All-star break if it pans out.
Buddy is not happy here, so not in long term plans, however he has a skill-set that evey team can use, so don’t get fleeced. Maximize his value (whoever wants him now, will probably be trying to low-ball Kings – Vlade aint here no more)
To me, that would be competent asset management.
I don’t know how big a consideration this is, but as (if) Buddy rebuilds his value in the course of the next few months, likely so too will his incentive-based salary increase. Maybe that offsets his net trade-value.
Trade him. He’s poisoned the well.
I know TKH has wanted a trade centered around Myles Turner, which would of course only be a possibility if Oladipo gets traded. Is there a world where we trade for both?
Buddy, Bjelly, #12, Parker’s matching Salary
for Oladipo and Turner
I would not trade Hield just for the sake of trading him. I am not concerned about any of the social media stuff either. The reality is that he probably has a slightly negative contract to production value right now, and he is under four years of team control. It isn’t so bad that I would attach an asset to unload the contract though.
If there is a deal that makes sense, then go for it of course. I would also give his agent permission to seek deals where the Kings are not required to give up an asset or take on an albatross just to be rid of him.
As a player, he kind of is what he is at this point. I don’t see his value significantly changing either way. There is enough of a sample size already.
I’ll trade him now and you’ll like it.
Now. Can you rebuild his value if he get’s injured? (Demarcus Cousins)
Hield’s value may rise the future, but it will be due to his contract dwindling and the cap, hopefully, jumping. Not because of anything he’s likely to do on the court.
trade buddy for jaylen brown right now!
sign free player kris dunn kelly olynyk
sign back alex len and get rid of joseph
try to trade justise winslow
new season
fox (dunn)
brown(bogi)
barnes(winslow)
bagley(bjelica)
holmes(olynyk len)
Why would the Celtics trade Brown for Hield? I like the idea, but there’s no way that’s happening.
A question as old as time. Giant douche or a turd sandwich?.. Meh
Trade now before he demands a trade.
I think Walton had the right idea, if Buddy wants to start, he needs to be a complete player. If, as many think below, Buddy is a catch and shoot guy, then he’s just a gunner off the bench. We’re never going to be competitive if we fire our coach every 2-3 years. Give Walton this year to establish his style and if we still suck, let him go.
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