Sacramento Kings shooting guard Buddy Hield is no stranger to NBA trade rumors. He has been included in them for months and it is something at this point he is probably used to. But, even he experienced something new this offseason.
Chatter swirled that the Kings and Los Angeles Lakers were engaged in trade talks centered around Hield. He was rumored to be heading to Los Angeles in exchange for Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell, and the No. 22 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
It was so close to being done, that the players were notified that they would be heading to new teams. Then, at the last moment, the Lakers pivoted. They sent that same package, along with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, to the Washington Wizards for Russell Westbrook.
There are certainly going to be some awkward moments for Hield as long as he remains with the Kings. It is one thing to know you are being shopped by a team, but to be close enough to leave that you are notified of it, has to be difficult to deal with.
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At this point, parting ways is likely what is best for both sides. Constantly being mentioned in rumors isn’t an easy thing for players to deal with. Could the Atlanta Hawks be a good landing spot for Heild?
Let’s take a look at this hypothetical trade between the Hawks and Kings that sees Hield switching coasts.