From a value perspective, it’s a fine-enough trade. Hield is on an expiring deal and wasn’t going to reach a contract extension with the blue and gold. Free agency was coming, and the Pacers were going to lose a lot of leverage if they held onto the 31-year old guard.
It was a sale, though, and it will make the team worse this season. McDermott is a wonderful shooter, but he is a downgrade from Hield and is also a free agent at the end of the 2023-24 campaign. The veteran wing is extension eligible and could add two years to his contract before the end of the season, but he is a lesser player to Hield.
“Buddy is a player that contributes valuably to us on the court, in the locker room. But we’re also in a situation where we’ve got to make some tough decisions. Building this team requires some tough decisions, and today was one of them,” Buchanan said of the trade.
Complicating matters were Hield’s desires. Gregg Doyel reported in the Indianapolis Star Friday morning that Hield asked to be traded, and AllPacers confirmed that fact with a league source. The Pacers filled that request.
In that way, the blue and gold haven’t wrapped up their moves just yet. They could still add someone else to the team. But in general, their big moves were all about trying to get better in the short and long term — a difficult task, yet one worth pursuing in the name of sustained success.
Three weeks ago, the Pacers didn’t have Pascal Siakam or Doug McDermott. They had more first-round draft picks but a lower ceiling. Now, they are a better team. That matters. The big picture has been lost somewhat due to the time that passed between trades.
They tried to toe a line on Thursday, and it might pay off. That remains to be seen. But the Pacers were opportunistic and continued to think long-term on the day of the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline. Only time will tell how much that pays off, especially as they try to win this year.
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