Buddy Hield hasn’t even had time to start looking for a house in North Carolina. Two days after arriving in a trade from Atlanta, the shooting guard changes teams again and will head to Illinois, the home state of the Chicago Bulls.
This has been the result –as Shams Charania reports for ESPN– of the agreement to swap veteran presence for potential: Charlotte sends Hield (and a certain amount of cash) to Chicago in exchange for Rob Dillingham, the No. 8 pick of the 2024 Draft.
The move completes a particularly hectic week for Hield. As we reported a few days ago in this outlet, the Hawks were negotiating with the Hornets a deal that would allow them to shed his contract and add Dorian Finney-Smith. Ultimately, the agreement materialized with Hield and Ryan Nembhard heading to Charlotte in exchange for the forward.
Cabe recordar que Rob Dillingham, el verdadero activo de este traspaso (Hield lleva años en declive y ser “tirador especialista” cada vez le salva menos), fue una de las grandes apuestas de Minnesota en el Draft de 2024. Los Timberwolves entregaron su primera ronda de 2031 sin protección y un swap de la primera ronda de 2030 para conseguir el pick 8, en poder de San Antonio, y seleccionarlo muy por encima de lo esperado.
Less than two years later, that investment cannot be judged in any other way than a failure.
Dillingham never convinced Chris Finch to carve out a spot in Minnesota’s rotation, and last February he was sent to Chicago as part of the trade that brought Ayo Dosunmu to the Timberwolves.
Can He Put Down Roots in Charlotte?
His stay in Illinois hasn’t been long either, despite having left several glimpses of his potential, and just a few months later he resets the clock to join his third franchise – one in full growth and that has just lost its iconic playmaker, LaMelo Ball – since he arrived in the NBA.
Dillingham will earn $6.9 million this season and the Hornets will have until October 31 to decide whether to exercise their team option of $8.8 million for the next season.
Hield, for his part, will receive $9.7 million this season and has a player option of $10 million for the 2027-28 season.
