Basketball
Bahamian professional basketball player Chavano ‘Buddy’ Hield has been traded from the Atlanta Hawks to the Charlotte Hornets.
Bahamian professional basketball player Chavano ‘Buddy’ Hield is on the move again.
The savvy veteran is set to play for a seventh franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA) after being dealt from the Atlanta Hawks along with Ryan Nembhard and cash to the Charlotte Hornets for forward Dorian Finney-Smith, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.
Despite having a respectable 10-year career, in which he has become one of the league’s most feared shooters and more durable players, Hield has struggled to find a consistent home. He was just traded to the Hawks from the Golden State Warriors at the trade deadline last season, and only played in seven out of a possible 29 games for the Hawks including 13 straight DNPs (Did Not Plays) at one point. He averaged 5.1 points in only 7.3 minutes per game during that span.
In the playoffs, Hield played in two out of the six games for the Hawks in their first-round series against the eventual champions, New York Knicks. He was efficient, going a combined 4-for-5 from the field and a perfect 2-for-2 from three-point range, but his contributions came in garbage time on both occasions. The Hawks lost the final two games of the series by a combined 80 points.
The move to Charlotte gives Hield a chance for a fresh start with a new franchise, giving the Hornets depth on the wing and a potent threat from deep.
Hield is considered an NBA iron man, having played in 80 or more games in a season seven times, including 84 regular season games, in an 82-game regular season, for two teams, during the 2023-2024 season.
In 51 games for the Warriors and Hawks last season, Hield averaged 7.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game, while shooting 43.7 percent from the field and a career-low 34.9 percent from three-point range.
For his career, 33-year-old Hield is at 14.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game, while shooting 43.3 percent from the field and 39.5 percent from three-point range. The former first round NBA draft pick out of Oklahoma is 15th on the NBA all-time list with 2,201 made three-pointers.
Hield has played in the playoffs three times, with his brightest playoff stint coming in 2025 when he started nine out of 12 games for the Warriors, averaging 12.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game, while shooting 41.6 percent from the field and a 42.9 percent from three-point range.
In fact, Hield played significant roles for both the Philadelphia 76ers and the Warriors in the postseason, in back-to-back years of 2024 and 2025. He was one of the more impactful players on the court both times.
In 2024, Hield had a breakout playoff performance with the Sixers and carried that momentum into the 2025 postseason when he had some huge moments for the Warriors, including a 33-point outing in a game seven victory for the Warriors over the Houston Rockets. Hield shot 12-for-15 from the field, including a remarkable 9-for-11 from three-point range, to lead the Warriors to a 103-89 win over the Rockets in game seven of their first-round playoff series that year.
Hield went on to hit 15 three-point shots in a 4-1 series loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA’s Western Conference semifinals.
Hield had a huge performance in the Hawks’ final regular season game last year, drilling seven three-point shots and erupting for 31 points in just 21 minutes of playing time against the Miami Heat.
However, it became clear that under Head Coach Quin Snyder, the Hawks had no plans for the veteran Bahamian.
Hield has two years remaining on a four-year $37.8 million contract that he originally signed with Sixers, which includes a player option for the 2027-2028 season. He will carry a base salary of $9,658,536 for the 2026-27 NBA season.
Tuesday’s trade is still pending league approval, but all signs point to Hield suiting up for Charlotte in the new season.
The Hornets will open the 2026-2027 NBA season on the road, taking on the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on Wednesday October 21. They will start the preseason at home against the Nets on Tuesday October 6. That preseason game will get underway at 7pm at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Hornets’ training camp will start next week Tuesday and will run through Friday October 2, at McAlister Field House at The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina.