The Atlanta Hawks and Buddy Hield entered the offseason with real uncertainty in regards to the length of their partnership, and now that there's some clarity on what the true direction is, plenty of questions remain.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, "The Atlanta Hawks will fully guarantee the $9.66 million salary for Buddy Hield," presumably locking him into the roster for the 2026-27 season.
While Hield would be a great veteran to have during a pivotal season - with a young squad looking to make a leap in the standings - there's legitimate reason to believe this is a very temporary fix.
Normally, unique contract agreements come with a tag of not being able to trade said player at least a few months after signing, but this is not the case here.
Atlanta can use Hield's $9.66 million salary to their advantage
Tradable contracts galore. Atlanta is known to have real interest in improving around the margins this summer, and they've already done so, but they now have yet another quality asset to use in a potential deal.
Think of it like a trade exception. The Hawks have used exceptions to their benefit for years, and now under this new, motivated regime, there's little reason to believe they won't use this updated salary to acquire a reliable contributor in the nightly rotation.
Some team that can afford to take on some salary in exchange for a player looking for a new opportunity could quickly help the Hawks part with some of their depth guys. Hield, 33, would certainly be included in those discussions.
It was either they opt out of his deal, let him walk for nothing, or get him on a much more expensive expiring contract and package him for a direct improvement. Onsi Saleh should be trusted by Hawks fans to handle this situation with calculated decision-making.
The offseason of improvement is just getting started
After falling to the eventual champion New York Knicks in the 2026 NBA Playoffs, the Hawks realized they weren't too far off, but they couldn't just sit around while those around them hit their strides.
They received plenty of praise for the work they put in during the recent draft, and while the roster already looks much better, they could still do so much more - and they will.
Hield's new contract, along with those of Corey Kispert and Zaccharie Risacher, could be enticing to some of the more active teams in trade conversations around the league.
Of course, the veteran guard could always be kept on the books for the length of the upcoming season, but it's quickly appearing very unlikely.
If anyone deserves this money, though, it's Buddy.
Add us as a preferred source on Google