Buddy Hield might be overpaid, but some Kings fans are missing the finer points

As the Kings sputtered to the end of a winless five-game homestand, frustration among Kings fans grew. Then they went to Chicago and Milwaukee over the weekend and dropped two more games.

After a glimmer of hope, the Kings have plummeted back down the standings and the blame game is in full effect. One of the common targets of fans’ ire is Buddy Hield, which is understandable considering Hield is the Kings’ highest paid player (until De’Aaron Fox’s max extension kicks in next year). With each game Hield struggles, there’s a growing fan sentiment that the Kings would be better off trading Hield before this year’s trade deadline.

A big part of fan frustration is related to Buddy’s contract. In October of 2019, Hield signed a four-year extension that was worth a minimum of $86 million, with incentives that could push it as high as $106 million. But of the incentives that we know about, most have been unattainable up to this point. They include the Kings making the playoffs, or Buddy making the All-Star team, or having a defensive rating below 110.5, none of which were reached last season or are likely to be reached this season.

But in the NBA we often associate the idea of a player being overpaid with the idea that a player is bad. Never mind that at the time of the extension it was seen as a good deal for both sides, and that evaluation of the deal was echoed both inside and outside of Sacramento. Ignore the fact that Buddy’s contract gets cheaper every season. Buddy is still viewed as overpaid relative to his production.

And make no mistake, his production has suffered since he inked his extension. In the 2018-19 season, before the extension, Buddy shot 42.7% from 3-point range, solidifying his status as one of the league’s elite shooters. But last season that fell to 39.4%, and this season Buddy is down to 36.1% following Sunday’s loss to Milwaukee.

Just a few weeks ago Buddy was over 40% from three for the year. With just 30 games played, shooting percentages can still swing wildly based on a couple good or bad games. The difference between Buddy shooting 37% or 41% this year is making one more 3-pointer every other game.

It’s easy to get caught up in the percentages and miss the larger impact of Hield’s shooting. Despite the lower percentages, Hield remains one of the top 3-point shooters in the league. Last season he finished second overall in 3-pointers made, behind James Harden. This season, through Sunday’s games, Hield was fourth in made threes behind Stephen Curry, C.J. McCollum and Damian Lillard. That shooting volume, even when it lacks efficiency, forces defenses to pay attention. Defenders respecting Buddy means more interior spacing for De’Aaron Fox to attack the paint.

Hield’s value to the Kings goes beyond just shooting. He’s improved the other aspects of his game during his years in Sacramento. Buddy is still prone to careless mistakes and turnovers, but he’s a far more capable passer and ball handler than when he arrived from New Orleans. And while nobody will ever consider Hield a candidate for the All-Defensive team, he’s improved his on-ball defense to the point he’s no a longer a complete liability.

If the Kings trade Buddy Hield this season, it’s quite possible we’ll suddenly notice the impact he was having on the floor.

This isn’t to say trading Hield is a bad idea; that depends entirely on the return. It’s just worth considering that while Buddy Hield may be overpaid, he might also be underrated by some Kings fans.

Greg Wissinger is the managing editor of KingsHerald.com and has been covering the Kings since 2009.