Could the Detroit Pistons acquire Buddy Hield?

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HOUSTON, TX – MARCH 30: Buddy Hield #24 of the Sacramento Kings brings the ball up court in the second half against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on March 30, 2019 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /

What Hield Brings

Hield brings two things the Pistons sorely lack – shooting and players coming into their prime. Hield was the rare four-year player at Oklahoma, so he came into the NBA older than the average prospect. He’s 26 coming into the last season of his rookie contract, so whoever gets Hield next will be getting his prime years at a discount as the $110 million he is reportedly asking for is far less than the $130.7 million max contract for which is eligible.

This makes him a bargain, especially considering Hield has likely not yet reached his peak as a player. Even if Detroit had to offer Hield the max to retain him, it might still be worth it for a player who averaged 20 points per game and shot 42% from three in 2018-19.

Hield was 7th overall in three-point percentage and 4th in total three-point makes last season. Hield isn’t quite one of the Splash Brothers, but he is close and would immediately give the Pistons the injection of shooting that they need. Hield has played mostly off the ball for the Kings, but he’s a playmaker, lights out shooter and decent rebounder for his position.

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The Detroit Pistons’ roster is lacking the middle ground between older veterans like Blake Griffin and green rookies like Sekou Doumbouya, players of the age to be part of the present and the future. Hield fits that mold and his timeline works well with the end of Griffin’s prime, as well as with some of the younger players the Pistons have acquired in the last few seasons. Hield could act as a bridge between the present and the future and offer Pistons’ fans hope that life after Blake could be promising.

Hield has a lot of the qualities the Pistons are looking for, but the million-dollar question is what might it take to get him?