Buddy Hield Wants Out Of Sacramento, Prefers Dallas, Says Source

There is no secret Buddy Hield was not happy last season after losing his starting spot in Sacramento. He was benched by Luke Walton and replaced by Bogdan Bogdanovic; he was riding the bench when the Kings were down three in the closing seconds.

Last year, there was a trade rumor that Hield want to be traded to the Sixers, according to Twitter handle [@simmons_szn], and Hield like the post on IG.

There were rumors that Mike D’Antoni would be the Sixers next coach before ultimately hiring Doc Rivers. If D’Antoni was hired, his systems require three point shooters, which Hield is one of the best in the league.

Hield seems to put the blame for his problems at the feet of King’s coach Luke Walton, and he won’t even answer his coach’s calls, according to Jason Jones of The Athletic.

“According to league sources, Hield has soured on Walton to the point he will not answer his coach’s phone calls. Messages to Hield’s agent, Brandon Rosenthal, and Walton were not returned…

How the benching situation was handled left Hield feeling he could not trust Walton. Hield felt like he was used as the scapegoat for the team’s struggles in the first half of last season. He shot 41.6 percent, 36 percent from 3 and averaged 20 points in 44 starts. Hield had a bigger burden on offense because De’Aaron Fox missed a little more than a month with a sprained ankle and Marvin Bagley went down in the season opener with a broken thumb, and later a foot sprain. The stretch with the injuries definitely hurt Hield’s efficiency as he was asked to do things that aren’t his strengths, like initiating offense. Hield’s defensive lapses also frustrated coaches and affected his minutes in the fourth quarter.”

I recently spoke to a source within Hield’s camp, and seems like nothing has changed. “He wants out of Sacramento and he would prefer to play in Dallas,” said the source.

If Hield wants to play in Dallas it would make sense, he trains there in the off-season along with Julius Randle, and Langston Galloway. He also went to the University of Oklahoma, which is not that far from Dallas.

If Dallas traded for Hield, he could be the third star the team has been coveting. Hield recently signed a four-year extension with the Sacramento Kings worth $94 million, which begins next season.