Ex-76ers vet Buddy Hield faces career nightmare before the season even begins

Former 76ers guard Buddy Hield did not exactly have a memorable campaign this past season. After starting the year off with the Warriors, his decline ended up being a steep one and he eventually played himself out of their normal loop. As a result, Golden State had to ship him out to the Hawks before the deadline, a situation which is not doing him any favors at this point after he got relegated into being a benchwarmer. Now, no one knows where his career is headed.

Ahead of the upcoming 2026-27 season, Hield faces a similar, if not an even worse fate. Atlanta has made some win-now moves this summer, but his path to playing time and a consistent role remains hazy and improbable. And given his contract situation, he is bound to get wrapped up in an unenviable position moving forward.

Former 76ers guard Buddy Hield is staring at an ugly fate next season

Hield is set to make around $9.6 million next season, but that is not even the ugly part in his deal. His contract still runs until the 2027-28 campaign, when he will have a player option amounting to $10.1 million that he is surely going to exercise. Simply put, he is empty baggage for the Hawks front office right now.

Head coach Quin Snyder did not have him in their rotation last season, and there are even fewer reasons to believe this time that such a dynamic will change. The Hawks do not have a dearth of backcourt options, and Hield’s steep decline as a contributor with his three-point shooting struggles in the previous campaign only makes his prospects for more playing time worse.

Naturally, Atlanta’s brain trust will try very hard to unload his contract via trade. However, that is far from a secure route given the probable fact that not a lot of teams will express real interest in absorbing Hield’s deal, which is not yet expiring. Still, this does not bode well for the veteran, who will be embroiled in trade rumors all season long. Heck, if the Hawks fail to find a taker for his services, Hield could find himself in a contract buyout situation.

Anyhow, there is no clear way for the former 76ers guard to rehabilitate his value next season. The Hawks simply have little practical use for him right now, and his contract only makes it hard for move on to a more ideal situation.