Sacramento Kings: Buddy Hield addresses trade request rumors
By Dalton Sell
Sacramento Kings shooting guard Buddy Hield recently spoke about his rumored trade requests and the team’s starting lineup changes.
The Sacramento Kings may soon find themselves in a dilemma they cannot afford with a possibly unhappy Buddy Hield. Rumors have been swirling that the shooting guard is dissatisfied with his new role off the bench and could request a trade if there is not a change.
Having another subpar season to this point, the Kings needed a shakeup to try and stay in contention after losing six in a row.
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Head coach Luke Walton made a switch in the starting lineup, sending Buddy Hield to the bench in favor of Bogdan Bogdanovic for the starting shooting guard spot.
Although Hield is having a stellar stretch of games off the bench, a rumor that he may be growing unhappy has been floating around.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reports, “If Hield remains displeased with his role, a source with knowledge of his thinking said he might request a trade. He believes he is a starter in the NBA, and there’s no guarantee he’ll get that job back, given how the team has played lately.”
Hield discussed these comments after Wednesday’s loss against the Dallas Mavericks. When asked if he wanted to address these rumors, he replied, “It’s all about winning. It doesn’t matter what’s going on. I can’t control nothing.”
He was later questioned if this was a role he could embrace, replying with, “Whatever they want me to do, whether I like it or not, I’ve got to come here as a professional and do my job and stay locked in and win ballgames.”
Some very cryptic answers from the shooting guard, who neither denied or confirmed his desire to be moved, but there were hints of displeasure.
In the first year of a four-year contract that could see him make up to $106 million, this ordeal puts the Sacramento Kings in a rough spot late in the season.
The move may make the shooting guard unhappy, but it has been an improvement thus far, as the Kings have gone 6-4. Two of those losses have come from the league’s two top teams, and the team looks rejuvenated since the switch.
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Hield himself has also fared exceptionally well offensively, putting up some substantial numbers coming off the bench. Averaging 22.2 points per game, the guard has been exceeding his regular-season scoring average of 20.4 points.
The 27-year-old has been putting up some impressive shooting numbers during this stretch to achieve these stats. Hitting 50.6 percent of his field goals, and an incredible 49.0 percent of his shots from three-point range, the guard has been outstanding.
Which makes this rumored trade request worrisome to think about for the future. Right when the team finds themselves in a groove, their star player becomes unhappy.
After signing his lucrative contract, this makes sense, but the Kings have been more functional with Hield off the bench in recent play. With 28 games left to play in the season, only time will tell what events transpire from this lineup change.
dark. Next. Sacramento Kings: The obvious solution to the Buddy Hield dilemma
At the moment, it appears Hield wants to play as a starter, whether it be for the Sacramento Kings or somewhere else.