Buddy Hield Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: Hield, Shamet, Ayton, Green

November 25th, 2019 at 9:19pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kings guard Buddy Hield, who signed a four-year extension worth up to $106MM last month, had been in somewhat of a shooting slump prior to his 41-point eruption on Monday, Jason Jones of The Athletic notes. Hield was averaging 19.0 PPG on 40.9 percent shooting overall and 37.7 percent from deep before he drained 11 3-pointers against the Celtics. Last season, Hield averaged 20.7 PPG on 45.8 percent shooting and 42.7 percent from 3. Hield wasn’t worried about the dip in numbers and with good reason.

“I’m getting the shots; I just need to put them down,” Hield said over the weekend. “I’m shooting the ball confidently — every shot I think I’m going to make. Yeah, the numbers, the shooting percentages don’t look right, but shooting 38 percent from 3 is not bad. But it’s bad for me because people have high expectations for me, and I have really high expectations for myself.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Clippers guard Landry Shamet is unlikely to return during the team’s upcoming three-game road trip but he’s showing progress, coach Doc Rivers told Jovan Buha of The Athletic (Twitter link). Shamet suffered a left ankle sprain two weeks ago. The second-year guard was averaging 9.1 PPG in 29.4 MPG over 10 appearances this season prior to the injury.
Suns center Deandre Ayton is making good use of his time while serving out his 25-game suspension, Gina Mizell of The Athletic reports. He has been working out with the team and participating in meetings and film sessions. Coach Monty Williams has noticed Ayton’s added muscle through weight-room sessions with the strength and conditioning staff, Mizell adds. “It’s a really good time for him to grow,” Williams said. “Not just as a basketball player, but to reflect on a number of things. And it’s a great time for us to put our arms around him and show him that we are a family.”
Forward Draymond Green is trying his best to display leadership during the Warriors’ injury-related struggles, Anthony Slater of The Athletic writes. “For me, it can go one of two ways,” Green said. “You can either not have perspective and lose the trust of all these young guys and fail them as a veteran leader. Or you can still try to get everything out of them while teaching them, while trying to win games, but understanding it’s much bigger than that.”

Kings Notes: Bagley, Holmes, Hield

November 20th, 2019 at 1:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Kings big man Marvin Bagley III is ramping up his individual workouts and is close to returning from the broken thumb that has sidelined him since opening night, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Bagley, who will be re-evaluated on Wednesday, will join the club on its four-game East Coast road trip that begins Friday, but head coach Luke Walton still has to figure out how he’ll use the former No. 2 overall pick once he’s back.

As Anderson details, the Kings have won six of their last eight games with Nemanja Bjelica and Richaun Holmes in the starting lineup. The duo has been effective over the last couple weeks, so Walton will have to decide whether to reinsert Bagley into the starting five or to roll with what his been working, perhaps bringing the second-year big man off the bench.

“We’re going to get him back into practice and see how things are going, try groupings and all the things you mentioned,” Walton said. “But there’s no answer to any of that right now.”

Here’s more on the Kings:

After the Kings splurged in free agency over the summer on Harrison Barnes, Cory Joseph, Dewayne Dedmon, and Trevor Ariza, their modest two-year, $9.8MM deal with Richaun Holmes was almost an afterthought. But Holmes has been a key part of the club’s early-season success, as Sean Deveney of Forbes.com outlines. “Every time I coached against him, he’s killed us,” Walton said of the journeyman center. “But he’s never really played major minutes, at least from what I’ve seen. So we were excited to get him. … He has been as solid and steady as anyone we’ve had on our team.”
Kings shooting guard Buddy Hield was fined $25K by the NBA this week for kicking the game ball into the stands at the end of the team’s win over Boston, as Sean Cunningham of ABC10 Sacramento tweets (video link). Hield later joked on Twitter that he should’ve kicked it harder to get his money’s worth.
In case you missed it earlier today, Kings assistant Igor Kokoskov was named the new head coach of the Serbian National Team. He’ll likely coach Bogdan Bogdanovic, Nemanja Bjelica, and a handful of other NBA players as Serbia looks to qualify for the 2020 Olympics.

Pacific Notes: Rondo, Jones, Ayton, Bogdanovic

October 25th, 2019 at 7:04pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Rajon Rondo could be available tonight against the Jazz if his sore calf doesn’t flare up again, Mike Bresnahan of Spectrum SportsNet tweets. The veteran Lakers point guard participated in a scrimmage during Thursday’s practice. Rondo, who missed Tuesday’s opener, will start “a lot” at point guard, according to coach Frank Vogel, Dave McMenamin of ESPN tweets. Rondo will play 25-30 minutes on a regular basis whether or not he starts, McMenamin writes in a separate post.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Suns GM James Jones is “disappointed in the actions” of center Deandre Ayton, who was suspended for 25 games by the league on Thursday for using a banned substance, Gina Mizell of The Athletic tweets. Jones added that the franchise remains “committed to his growth and development on and off the court.” Aron Baynes is expected to move into the starting lineup while Frank Kaminsky could see more action at center, Mizell writes in a separate story. Cheick Diallo, who was not part of Wednesday’s opening-night rotation, could also be in the mix, Mizell adds.
The Suns will likely add a center once they’re able to move Ayton to the suspended list, John Gambadoro of 98.7 FM Phoenix tweets. Phoenix will be permitted to add a 16th player to their roster after their game against Memphis on November 2.
Bogdan Bogdanovic isn’t thrilled about the prospect of being a sixth man with the Kings, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon and Brian Windhorst (hat tip to NBC Sports’ Dan Feldman). There’s no spot for him in the lineup with Buddy Hield and Harrison Barnes at the wings and locked into long-term contracts. Bogdanovic, who scored just two points points in 22 minutes during the Kings’ opener, will be a restricted free agent after the season.

Kings Notes: Hield, Giles, Gabriel, Outlook

October 23rd, 2019 at 12:16pm CST by Luke Adams

No player who signed a rookie scale extension this week has more potential variance from year to year than Kings shooting guard Buddy Hield. While his new deal has a base value of $86MM over four seasons, Hield can reportedly earn an extra $5MM in annual incentives, increasing the total value of the extension to $106MM.

However, maxing out on all those incentives won’t be easy, as Jason Jones and Sam Amick of The Athletic detail. For instance, more than half of Hield’s annual bonuses are tied to the following achievements:

Being named an All-Star ($1MM)
Kings make the playoffs ($500K)
Kings make it to Western Semifinals ($250K)
Kings make it to Western Finals ($500K)
Kings make it to NBA Finals ($1MM)

Another $2MM in annual incentives are more reachable, but are hardly locks. According to Jones and Amick, Hield could earn up to $2MM if he appears in at least 70 games and achieves the following benchmarks:

Makes at least 85.0% of his free throws ($500K)
Averages fewer than two turnovers per game ($500K)
Leads the NBA in made three-pointers ($500K)
Has a defensive rating below 110.5 ($500K)

Hield wasn’t an All-Star in 2018/19 and the Kings didn’t make the playoffs. However, he appeared in all 82 games and made 88.6% of his free throw attempts, averaged 1.8 turnovers per game, and had a defensive rating of 110.0. So if he were to repeat those numbers, he’d earn $1.5MM in bonus money.

Here are a couple more notes on the Kings:

Big man Harry Giles won’t be ready to start the regular season, head coach Luke Walton confirmed earlier this week (link via Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee). Giles, who is dealing with left knee soreness, isn’t yet participating in the contact portion of Kings’ practices.
Wenyen Gabriel‘s new contract with the Kings is a non-guaranteed one-year deal worth the minimum, tweets Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports. Gabriel, who was moved to the 15-man roster on Monday, would be a restricted free agent at season’s end if he finishes the contract.
James Patrick of The Sacramento Bee explores the best- and worst-case scenarios for the Kings in 2019/20.

Kings Sign Buddy Hield To Four-Year Extension

October 21st, 2019 at 5:03pm CST by Luke Adams

5:03pm: Hield’s extension is now official, according to a press release issued by the Kings.

“Buddy has made tremendous growth each season since joining the team and we are thrilled that he will remain a King as we continue to build an exciting future here in Sacramento,” general manager Vlade Divac said in a statement. “He has quickly established himself as an elite shooter in the league and is an important part of our young, dynamic core.”

11:24am: The Kings and shooting guard Buddy Hield have reached an agreement on a four-year rookie scale extension worth $86MM in guaranteed money, reports Sam Amick of The Athletic (Twitter link). According to Amick, the deal will feature another $20MM in incentives. Carmichael Dave of KHTK Sports 1140 (Twitter link) first reported that the two sides were expected to finalize an agreement in advance of today’s deadline.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets that the four-year deal is worth $94MM and can reach up to $106MM, which suggests that perhaps $8MM of that $20MM in bonus money is tied to “likely” incentives rather than “unlikely” incentives, though we’ll have to wait for the full details.

A source tells Amick (Twitter link) that Hield’s incentives will be both team- and player-based, with All-Star berths and NBA Finals appearances among the ways the sharpshooter can maximize his earnings. Woj adds (via Twitter) that there will be “reachable” incentives related to three-point shooting.

Hield’s salaries will also descend annually, per Amick. Like Harrison Barnes‘ new four-year, $85MM contract with the Kings, Hield’s deal will start in the $24MM range and decline to $18MM+ by year four. That will allow the franchise to maximize its cap flexibility in later years, when pricey new deals for De’Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley could go into effect.

Hield’s four-year extension won’t feature any team or player options, notes Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).

Hield enjoyed an underrated breakout season in 2018/19, establishing new career highs in PPG (20.7), RPG (5.0), APG (2.5), and several other categories. He increased his productivity while maintaining his impressive efficiency, converting 42.7% of 7.9 three-point attempts per game.

His 278 three-pointers in ’18/19 placed him seventh on the NBA’s all-time list for threes in a single season. Only Stephen Curry (four times), James Harden (2018/19), and Paul George (2018/19) have ever made more outside shots in a season.

Despite Hield’s impressive ascent, he and the Kings had a gap to bridge in contract negotiations this fall as they attempted to get something done before the season and avoid having the former first-round pick become a restricted free agent next summer. Hield used increasingly escalating rhetoric in conversations with reporters, even hinting at a trade demand if he and the Kings couldn’t work out a new long-term deal.

A recent report indicated that Hield was seeking $110MM over four years, while Sacramento was offering $90MM. While we don’t know for sure that those numbers were accurate, the terms of his new deal suggest a compromise — at worst, he’ll earn $86MM over four seasons, but that number could be significantly higher if he hits several of his bonus benchmarks.

If Hield had reached the open market in 2020, he would’ve been eligible for a four-year, maximum-salary offer sheet worth up to an estimated $124.7MM, based on the league’s latest cap projections. However, he always seemed willing to accept less than the max from the Kings in order to avoid a year of uncertainty. Amick notes (via Twitter) that players and agents are also a little worried about the China situation negatively impacting the cap next year and beyond.

With another $24MM+ in guaranteed salary on their books for 2020/21, the Kings are extremely unlikely to be a major player in free agency next summer. And with Hield off the market, an already weak ’20 free agent class looks even less intriguing.

Jaylen Brown (Celtics), Domantas Sabonis (Pacers), and Malik Beasley (Nuggets) are among the top extension-eligible players who still have until 6:00pm eastern time to sign new deals to avoid restricted free agency next year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Charania’s Latest: Kings, J. Brown, Rockets, China, More

October 18th, 2019 at 9:53am CST by Luke Adams

One complicating factor in the Kings‘ contract extension negotiations with Buddy Hield is the four-year, $85MM deal the team did with Harrison Barnes earlier this offseason, writes Shams Charania of The Athletic. According to Charania, Sacramento has already expressed some remorse over that deal, since it has set a precedent in talks for Hield and may impact the Kings’ ability to complete extensions for other key players.

Meanwhile, in other rookie scale extension news, Charania says several teams around the NBA are monitoring the negotiations between the Celtics and Jaylen Brown. Sources tell Charania that those teams are waiting to see if they’ll get a chance to “make Boston and GM Danny Ainge pay” with a big offer sheet for Brown next summer.

Here’s more from Charania:

The NBA/China controversy appears to be at an impasse for now, with teams around the league waiting to see how Chinese TV networks handle opening night on Tuesday. It’s not clear if China will lift its suspension of NBA broadcasts at that point or if it will continue to blackball telecasts, according to Charania.
With Gerald Green potentially out for the season due to a foot injury, the Rockets are “scouring the market” for help on the wing, says Charania. Houston discussed some Andre Iguodala trade scenarios with the Grizzlies, but is reluctant to go way into luxury-tax territory by trading for Iguodala, Charania adds.
Charania provides updates on a pair of roster battles, writing that Javonte Green is the favorite to become the Celtics‘ 15th man over Max Strus, while Marquese Chriss is “moving closer” to claiming a regular season roster spot with the Warriors.
Free agent swingman Iman Shumpert has spoken to a few teams, including the Bulls and Grizzlies, Charania reports.
Charania suggests that Bulls forward Chandler Hutchison has suffered a hamstring strain in “recent days.” His wording makes it sound like it’s either a different injury than the strain Hutchison suffered in early September or a re-aggravation of that injury. The second-year Bull is expected to miss more time, league sources tell Charania.

Buddy Hield Hints At Trade Demand

October 17th, 2019 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Buddy Hield says he’ll “probably look for another home” if he can’t work out an extension with the Kings in the next four days, writes Jason Jones of The Athletic. Hield’s comments after Wednesday’s preseason game indicate that the stakes are extremely high for the team as Monday’s rookie scale extension deadline approaches.

Hield is reportedly seeking $110MM over four years, which is about $20MM below the maximum four-year deal he’s eligible to receive. Sacramento’s best offer so far has been about $90MM, which Hield has been unwilling to accept. That gap raises the prospect of an unhappy season for one of the team’s key pieces, who will become a restricted free agent next summer if no deal is reached.

“I don’t know if things are going to get done,” Hield told reporters last night. “If it don’t get done, me and my team will look somewhere else, probably look for another home. Until then, we’ll see what happens here. That’s the goal, to be here, and I love Sacramento. But if they don’t want me here, they don’t feel like I’m part of the core — I like respect and loyalty and I feel like I’m part of the group that’s been getting the team back where it needs to be. So like I said I want to be here, but if they don’t want me here I’ll find somewhere else to be.”

Hield played all 82 games last season and led the team in scoring at 20.7 PPG. He was the centerpiece of the trade that sent DeMarcus Cousins to the Pelicans in 2017 and launched the Kings’ latest rebuilding effort.

Negotiations with Hield are especially significant, Jones notes, because they may affect the way that other young players view the organization when it’s time for their extensions. GM Vlade Divac reportedly promised a super-max deal to Cousins before the trade, and the decision to change course has created a sense of distrust toward the front office among some players and their agents.

Coming off a 39-win season and with a wealth of young talent on their roster, the Kings have started to shed their reputation as a poorly-run franchise. But letting a player like Hield get away would be a major setback. Of course, if Hield reaches restricted free agency, Sacramento would be able to match any offer sheet he signs, but the club may want to risk the situation getting more contentious.

The fourth-year shooting guard believes he deserves to be rewarded for his role in putting the franchise on the right track.

“My job is to go out there and hoop and play for the max,” Hield said. “If every player is not playing for the max, I don’t know why you’re in the NBA. And some people will get the max, some people won’t, that’s how it works. But my job is to go out there and kill every night so I can be that max player. And I feel like, especially a market like this, Sacramento, you guys have been covering basketball all your life. Name one big free agent that came to Sacramento.”

Extension Rumors: Hield, Brown, Siakam

October 16th, 2019 at 1:21pm CST by Luke Adams

Teams carrying players eligible for rookie scale extensions have five more days to beat the October 21 deadline and lock up those players to long-term deals, with Buddy Hield (Kings), Jaylen Brown (Celtics), and Pascal Siakam (Raptors) among the prime extension candidates.

Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports has updates on the extension talks for all three players, so let’s dive in and round up the highlights…

The Kings have made Hield a four-year offer worth $90MM, league sources tell Haynes. However, the sharpshooter and agent Brandon Rosenthal are seeking a deal closer to $110MM. Based on the NBA’s latest cap projections for 2020/21, a four-year, maximum-salary contract for Hield with Sacramento would be worth just shy of $130MM, so even a $110MM deal would come in well below the max.
Although the Celtics aren’t typically aggressive when it comes to finalizing rookie scale extensions, they’ve put a four-year, $80MM offer on the table for Brown, league sources tell Haynes. However, the swingman, who turns 23 next week, believes in his ability to become a star and is seeking a more lucrative offer.
Siakam is the most likely player in this group to sign a new contract by Monday, according to Haynes, who refers to the Raptors‘ forward as a “virtual lock” to be extended. However, it will likely require a maximum-salary offer from Toronto, league sources inform Haynes. A five-year max for Siakam would be worth a projected $168MM, and could even get as high as $202MM if it includes Rose Rule language.

Western Notes: Hield, Kings, Grizzlies, Poole

October 13th, 2019 at 7:02pm CST by JD Shaw

As the Kings mull over whether to offer fourth-year guard Buddy Hield a contract extension, Hield has received strong praise from a major voice in the organization: De’Aaron Fox.

“Everybody deals with their own, so it’s something I worry about, but obviously I want to continue to play with a guy like that,” Fox said, according to James Ham of NBC Sports California. “For me, just hopefully they get it done.”

Hield has expressed interest in signing an extension with the Kings, and the 26-year-old hasn’t demanded a max-salary offer to this point, according to Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee. He averaged a career-high 20.7 points, five rebounds and 2.5 assists per game last season, appearing in all 82 contests.

“As a player, you want to have that trust that the franchise has your back and we’re just waiting for them to make a move and come to an agreement,” Hield said last week. “They’re talking, but nothing is moving yet. Nothing has moved. I’m ready to make things happen, man. I want to make Sacramento my home. I’m ready to get this s— done. I want to be here and if it doesn’t happen, then things can go the other way.”

Hield, who would become a restricted free agent next summer if the two sides fail to reach an extension, is due to make $4.8MM with the Kings this season. The deadline for teams to reach decisions on rookie-scale extensions is October 21.

Here are some other notes from the Western Conference:

Kings forward Trevor Ariza underwent a successful procedure to remove a lipoma from his back last week, the team announced, as relayed by James Ham (Twitter link). He is expected to miss the remaining two preseason games and be reevaluated after the Oct. 16 game against Melbourne United. Sacramento also announced that Harry Giles (sore left knee) is expected to miss the rest of the preseason after an Sept. 30 MRI revealed no new findings on the injury.
Michael Wallace of NBA.com evaluates where every Grizzlies player stands as the team crosses the halfway mark of the preseason. Wallace examines the likes of No. 2 overall pick Ja Morant, veteran forward Jae Crowder, third-year guard Dillon Brooks and more.
The Warriors’ overall confidence in rookie guard Jordan Poole is gradually beginning to grow, Monte Poole of NBC Sports writes. “He’s really advanced,” Draymond Green said of his teammate on Thursday, moments after Poole scored 19 points in 21 minutes against the Timberwolves. “He’s very good with the basketball and he can shoot it, which is obviously at a premium in this league today. But he can really create shots for himself and can really stretch and space the floor out.”

Buddy Hield Willing To Accept Less Than Max To Remain With Kings

October 12th, 2019 at 2:32pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Buddy Hield is eligable for a rookie-scale contract extension and while the Kings would love to lock him up long-term, it’s unclear what they are willing to offer the shooting guard.

Jason Jones of The Athletic hears that Hield is willing to accept less than the max in order to get a deal done. However, Hield doesn’t want an offer that would be considered an “insult.”

Ben Simmons and Jamal Murray are among the few players from the 2016 draft class to receive rookie-scale extensions this offseason. Both players signed max deals and it’s arguable that Simmons and Murray are the only players from the draft class who have shown as much promise as Hield.

“I think everyone knows we love Buddy,” Kings coach Luke Walton said. “That’s him and the front office dealing with that.”

October 21 is the deadline for teams to come to terms on rookie-scale extensions. The Kings have several young players who will be up for new deals soon, as our own Luke Adams recently explained. De’Aaron Fox will be eligible for a rookie-scale extension next summer and Bogdan Bogdanovic will be a restricted free agent at that time.

“As a player, you want to have that trust that the franchise has your back and we’re just waiting for them to make a move and come to an agreement,” Hield said earlier this week. “They’re talking, but nothing is moving yet. Nothing has moved. I’m ready to make things happen, man. I want to make Sacramento my home. I’m ready to get this [explicit] done. I want to be here and if it doesn’t happen, then things can go the other way.”

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images