There were parts throughout Buddy Hield's first season with the Golden State Warriors where he played at an above-average level. In fact, one could even argue that Hield was much better than many expected.
On the surface, he's a decent player, but he certainly has deficiencies. Ultimately, however, he did exactly what the Warriors expected him to do. He shot 37% from 3-point range on high volume and averaged 11.1 points per game. If he can get that 3-point number up to about 40% on some higher volume, he'd be an even better fit.
However, some question if that's possible for Hield and the Warriors, including Jedd Pagaduan of Clutch Points. Pagaduan recently made bold predictions about who could be traded from the Warriors in the 2025-26 season, predicting that Hield would be one of them.
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“All in all, Buddy Hield's first season as a Warriors player was successful. He did end up cycling in and out of the starting lineup, but he fits the team to a T. The Dubs love their elite marksmen around Curry, and it's hard to find anyone better from a volume three-point shooting standpoint than Hield.
“Hield had plenty of moments in his first season in a Warriors uniform, most notably tearing the Rockets apart in Game 7 of the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs. While his defense leaves a lot to be desired, the Warriors will want to find alternative courses of action before they even think about trading the veteran sharpshooter,” he wrote.
It’ll likely come down to how the Warriors look next season, and if they believe they have an opportunity to win a championship during the middle of the campaign.
If they do, it’s certainly possible that Hield could be traded for a better player who does more on the court. He’s really just a 3-point shooter, so if the Warriors could get a more all-around player, it feels safe to say they'd be willing to move on from him.