The Golden State Warriors are still fresh off losing one of their own, but GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. has already made moves to make up for it. The Warriors’ first big acquisition has come in the form of Buddy Hield, who has just been confirmed to be Steph’s newest teammate via a sign-and-trade agreement with the 76ers and three other teams.
“The Golden State Warriors have agreed to a deal acquiring Buddy Hield via sign-and-trade from the 76ers,” wrote Shams Charania. “New teammates Hield and Stephen Curry are leaders for most 3-pointers made over the last 5 NBA seasons – and now will be teammates.”
Hield, 31, averaged 12.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game on 43.6% shooting. Despite the relatively modest numbers, Hield has been among the league’s best three-point shooters for several years now and fans were happy to see him paired up with Stephen Curry.
Buddy Hield and Steph Curry aka the number 1-2 three point shooters in the league on the same team. The last time that happened was… pic.twitter.com/w6O3lHTjSy
— At The Buzzer (@AtTheBuzzer1) July 3, 2024
While this trade won’t make the Warriors favorites in the West, it might be enough to make things interesting, especially if there are more moves on the way.
Warriors having a sneaky solid offseason. Moving around the margins well. The 2nd round draft pick fits in theory too. And there is still time to make a big trad. Dunleavy didn’t exactly take over an ideal situation.
— Jason Dumas (@JDumasReports) July 4, 2024
At the very least, the acquisition of Buddy will help lessen the sting of losing Klay. Hield will never be the defender that Thompson was in his prime but there is a belief that he can give them what they need the most: more shooting around Curry.
Klay thought he did something by leaving & the Warriors replaced him with a better player😭 pic.twitter.com/lfZK5drsjB
— Hoops (@HoopMixOnly) July 4, 2024
The Warriors have lost several players from their rotation last season but the idea is that they can improve as a team overall by adjusting their roster and replacing some of their valued role-players with better-fitting pieces.
Turned Klank and Cp0 into Melton, Anderson, and Buddy Hield 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/Y5ESYDGNrU
— Agenda (@30Agenda) July 4, 2024
The Warriors still have a long way to go in terms of building a contender in the West but most can agree that their summer acquisitions have been solid so far and should prove to be good fits on the floor.
Warriors turning Klay Thompson into Hield and SloMo is a great pivot. Both guys should fit really their offense really well
— Robert Guerra (@TheProducerRG) July 4, 2024
Of course, the Warriors have always had big ambitions and many fans are already pushing them to trade whatever assets they have left to bring in Lauri Markkanen.
Thats a great way to fill the void. Now we gotta give up those damn picks for Lauri#SendDaPicks
— Ashwin (@Sudharsan_ak) July 4, 2024
Overall, despite what they’ve lost, the Warriors have somehow found a way to recover and it’s the ultimate proof that they intend to stay competitive for as long as Stephen Curry is healthy and active.
Warriors replacing Klay and CP3 with Melton/Anderson/Hield is going under the radar
— Grant Shirley (@Grant_Shirley4) July 4, 2024
Fresh off the news of Klay Thompson’s departure, a 4x champion with the organization, the Warriors were feeling desperate for a win. They came close to picking up Paul George from the Clippers, but they decided to send him to the 76ers instead to team up with Joel Embiid.
Left with nothing, the Warriors had to act fast if they wanted to keep up with the Western Conference and Buddy Hield was someone they had considered for some time due to his youth, shooting, and ball-handling skills.
As for Hield, Shams Charnaia recently reported that he chose the Warriors over other opportunities with the purpose of trying to win. He and former Timberwolves veteran Kyle Anderson are the answers to Klay so far, but the Warriors may have other moves in the works.
Of course, the Warriors will also now have to pay Hield, who is owed over $24 million over the next four years. As long as Curry is still playing like a superstar, this is the price that the Warriors will pay to try to stay competitive but it still may not be enough to give them the edge over teams like the Timberwolves, Mavericks, and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
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