As Buddy Hield seemingly fought back tears during a postgame presser last week, it looked like the Sacramento Kings‘ bright future would soon crumble over a few million dollars. For a franchise as maligned as the Kings, it felt almost expected.
Hield, the 26-year-old sharpshooter, first joined the Kings as part of the Demarcus Cousins trade package in 2017. After two middling campaigns in the Central Valley, Hield bloomed alongside De’Aaron Fox during last year’s 39-43 run.
On the year, Hield knocked down 278 three-pointers — the seventh-most in a single season in the league’s history — without compromising efficiency, converting at an astonishing 42.