3 Clippers trade targets that would have been better fits than Harden
By Will Eudy
2. Buddy Hield
While James Harden is far from a liability when it comes to three-point shooting, he is not considered as an especially dangerous three-point threat. Since arriving in Philadelphia, he has shot right around league average from beyond the arc at 35.5%.
He will be a decent three-point threat for the Clippers but nothing beyond that. What LA could have used is someone to supplant the now-departed Luke Kennard with a knockdown three-point shot. Buddy Hield fits that bill perfectly.
Since entering the league in 2016, Hield has been one of the most deadly three-point shooters in the NBA. He is a career 40.2% shooter from outside, and has never shot lower than 36% in a season. Hield is the perfect floor spacer that gives opponents a perimeter player they always have to respect.
Suffice to say, Ty Lue would have loved to have Hield’s incredible shooting prowess in his locker room. Hield would have given Kawhi and Paul George a reliable threat to go to when they needed a bucket from deep, as well as someone that would have allowed them even greater room to operate on their own.
As good as Terance Mann and Bones Hyland can be, neither possess the offensive gravity that a shooter like Buddy Hield does.