New Orleans Pelicans Target: Buddy Hield
Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram are the two stars on the New Orleans Pelicans roster and after years of not having a solid supporting cast, the Pelicans front-office went out and made some key moves in the offseason to acquire Jonas Valanciunas, Devonte’ Graham, Tomas Satorasnky and others.
Now, the Pelicans look like a team who could potentially make it to the playoffs, but in order to ensure this happens and in order to keep both Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson happy, New Orleans will have to target another key talent like Buddy Hield.
Originally drafted by the Pelicans in 2016, Buddy Hield was traded during his rookie season in New Orleans to the Sacramento Kings and has since turned himself into a key talent.
In 4.5 seasons with the Kings, Hield has averaged 17.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and has shot 40.9% from three-point range, making him one of the premier three-point shooters in the league.
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Three-point shooting is the key for every team in the NBA nowadays and last season, New Orleans ranked 26th in the league in team three-point shooting percentage. That’s a problem alongside Zion Williamson.
The additions of Graham, Satoransky, Temple, and others will definitely improve the Pelicans perimeter game, but adding Buddy Hield via trade could be the final piece to make them a playoff threat in the Western Conference.
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He is owed $61.5M over the next three seasons, but Hield would be a terrific midseason addition for the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans could have him moving off screens and be a recipient of a lot of passes from Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram when they get double-teamed, leading to a lot of open three-point opportunities.
Both Zion Williamson and Ingram want to win in New Orleans and neither of them have taken this team to the playoffs over the last two seasons, which is why this is a critical move for the Pelicans to possibly make.