On Thursday, the Philadelphia 76ers pulled off a trade for an impact scorer that will give head coach Nick Nurse another nice weapon for the second half of the season.
Assuming Joel Embiid can return to form this season following knee surgery, the Philadelphia 76ers could certainly use more weapons for the stretch run of the 2023-24 season and into the playoffs. While there have been various reports on players they could make a deal for, the team made an interesting move for a sharpshooter who should help in the postseason.
- Buddy Hield stats (2023-24): 12.0 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.7 APG, 38% 3PT
On Thursday morning, ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski was one of the first to report that “The Indiana Pacers are trading Buddy Hield to the 76ers for Marcus Morris, Furkan Korkmaz, and three second-round picks.”
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How Buddy Hield helps the Philadelphia 76ers
If there is one thing Buddy Hield has proven throughout his eight-year career in the league, is that he can fill it up and he can be a deadly three-point shooter. The Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers veteran made history earlier this year when he became the fastest player to reach 1,000 three-pointers made in NBA history. However, he has had a diminished role for Indiana this season and has been in trade rumors since last year.
If the 76ers stand pat before the 3 PM ET NBA trade deadline, the 31-year-old could easily be slotted into the starting two-guard spot or be an elite-level sixth man for Nick Nurse for the rest of the season. The addition of a proven scorer is a major addition for Philadelphia with Joel Embiid expected to be out for several more weeks.
What is also notable about the deal is the Philadelphia 76ers maintain their cap flexibility for the summer because Hield is set to be a free agent after the season.
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