Recent discussions between Buddy Hield and the Pacers have brought to light the possibility of a trade deal, stemming from complications in contract extension negotiations.
While Indiana did present the 30-year-old shooting guard with an extension offer in the past few weeks, the terms of the proposal left the the player feeling undervalued despite being considered a cornerstone of the franchise.
Hield has shown openness to exploring new opportunities via a potential trade to another team. However, at this point, there are no active, substantial negotiations with other franchises, and the Pacers do not feel an immediate urgency to finalize a trade.
Pacers General Manager Chad Buchanan has reiterated the team’s desire to retain Hield, emphasizing their appreciation for him.
“Buddy is someone that we love having on our team, we want him on our team this year. The business of basketball comes into play at times, we’ve had talks with him about an extension, and those talks are at a halt right now,” he said, via HoopsHype.
Buchanan went on to explain, “That’s not to say that they’re done. We’d like to have Buddy with us; we have no intention of trying to move Buddy.
“But it’s also our job to listen if opportunities come that help us improve the team. That’s what we have to do as a front office. But our intention is to have Buddy on the team this year and have him be a big part of our group.”
