Buddy Hield

Hield is one of the most prolific three-point shooters in the NBA, entering the league as the sixth overall pick in 2016 and developing into a microwave-scoring specialist with deep range and a quick release. A Bahamian product who played four seasons at Oklahoma, he has won a Three-Point Contest, averaged over 20 points per game multiple times, and played for six NBA franchises while establishing himself as one of the premier catch-and-shoot threats in the league.

Born Chavano Rainier Hield on December 17, 1992, in Freeport, Bahamas, he attended Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kansas, before committing to the University of Oklahoma. As a freshman, he averaged 7.6 points and 4.5 rebounds. As a sophomore, he improved to 16.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.4 steals and was named Big 12 Honorable Mention. As a junior, he averaged 17.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists and earned All-Big 12 Second Team honors. He returned for his senior season and exploded for 25.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists, was named Big 12 Player of the Year, a consensus first-team All-American, and won the John R. Wooden Award and the Jerry West Award as the nations best shooting guard.

The New Orleans Pelicans selected Hield sixth overall in the 2016 NBA draft. He made his debut on October 26, 2016, against Denver, scoring nine points. On November 23, he scored a then-career-high 19 points against Orlando. On December 8, he scored 21 points in a win over Memphis, but on November 18, he was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month for October and November. On February 20, 2017, he was traded to the Sacramento Kings in a blockbuster deal for DeMarcus Cousins. With Sacramento, he averaged 15.1 points as a rookie and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

With the Kings, Hield blossomed into one of the leagues premier shooters. He averaged over 20 points in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons, led the league in three-pointers made in 2019-20, and won the NBA Three-Point Contest at All-Star Weekend in 2020. He set multiple franchise records for three-pointers and became a fixture in the Sacramento rotation. However, his defensive limitations and occasional clashes with coaching staffs led to reduced roles and eventual trade discussions. On February 8, 2022, the Kings traded him to the Indiana Pacers. He later played for the Philadelphia 76ers and the Golden State Warriors.

Hield is a shooting specialist with elite catch-and-shoot mechanics, deep range, and a quick release. He thrives off screens, relocates without the ball, and punishes defenders who sag off him. His three-point volume is among the highest in league history, and his accuracy has remained consistent across multiple teams. Offensively, he is a one-dimensional scorer who rarely attacks the rim or creates for others. Defensively, he is undersized for a wing, lacks lateral quickness, and is frequently targeted in pick-and-roll coverage. His value is entirely tied to shooting, and teams deploy him as a floor-spacer who can get hot and swing games in short stretches.

Hield enters the 2025-26 season with a multi-team résumé that includes a sixth overall draft selection, Sacramento tenure as a franchise three-point leader, an NBA All-Rookie First Team berth, a 2020 Three-Point Contest title, multiple 20-point seasons, a DeMarcus Cousins trade, stints with Indiana, Philadelphia, and Golden State, and a reputation as one of the purest shooters of his generation. His path from Freeport through Oklahoma and into the NBA reflects a career built on perimeter precision, scoring volume, and the adaptability to thrive as a specialist across multiple systems.