The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

JUST about halfway through his rookie season, Buddy Hield is on the move to a new franchise following a blockbuster trade during the late hours of NBA All-Star Weekend.

Hield was one of the principals in a trade that will see the Bahamian guard packaged along with Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway, a future  2017 first-round and second-round pick to Sacramento in exchange for All-Star centre DeMarcus Cousins and Omri Casspi.

The first-round pick en route to the Kings will be top-three protected, which means that the Kings would receive the pick once it lands at No.4 and below. Sacramento has an opportunity to have two lottery picks in what many consider a loaded NBA Draft Class. However, if the Kings’ pick falls beyond the No. 10 spot it will go to the Chicago Bulls.

Vlade Divac, Kings’ vice president of basketball operations and general manager, said he expects Hield to have an impact with the franchise.

“He [Buddy] is a talented guy. His work ethic is exactly what we want here. He brings energy. He will try to improve his game and our team, and that it is something we are looking forward to,” he said speaking to reporters at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. “Buddy was a first-round pick last year. We added another pick and we feel very strong about this draft this year. We have the ability to start fresh.”

A press release issued by the team said the trade represented a shift in culture for the franchise.

“It was time for a change and I decided this was the best direction for the organisation, said Divac. “Winning begins with culture and character matters. With the upcoming draft class set to be one of the strongest in a decade, this trade will allow us to build the depth needed for a talented and developing roster moving forward. We thank DeMarcus for his contributions and wish him all the best in New Orleans. The fans in Sacramento are the best in the world and we are all committed to building a team that will continue to make Sacramento proud.”

Just two weeks ago, Divac announced that the Kings would no longer seek trade partners for the mercurial Cousins, who leads the league in technical fouls.

Hield will be expected to be a major component of a rebuilding young core for the Kings which will include 2015 lottery pick Willie Cauley-Stein, last year’s first round draft pick Skal Labissiere and the future picks in 2017.

The trade came near the conclusion of All-Star Weekend when Hield had his final performance in New Orleans as a member of the Pelicans.

Hield finished with 28 points and six rebounds and just 27 minutes to help Team World to a 150-141 win over team USA in the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge on Friday night.

He shot 11-22 from the field and took more shots than he has in any regular season game thus far in his rookie season.

Hield is averaging 8.6 points, 1.4 assist and 2.9 rebounds during the 57 game stretch for the Pelicans this season. He’s shooting 39.2 per cent from the field overall but is hitting from three at a decent rate - 37 per cent.

Hield’s productive month of December was recognised by the NBA when he was named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month after he led the conference’s rookies in scoring (10.6 points), three-point field goal percentage (48 per cent) and three-pointers made (33).

Cousins leaves the Kings as one of the top players of the Sacramento-era of the franchise. He has posted three straight seasons averaging more than 22 points and 11 rebounds per game.

This season he was selected to his third All-Star game and is posting career highs in points (27.8 per game), assists (4.9), 3-point field goal percentage (.356) and player efficiency rating (26.6).

In New Orleans, he will be paired in the frontcourt alongside recent All-Star Game MVP and fellow Kentucky Wildcat, Anthony Davis.

The first opportunity to see Hield in a Kings uniform will be Thursday (February 23) when the team hosts the Denver Nuggets at 10:30pm local time.

Hield also made his NBA debut against the Nuggets and Murray, who was picked one spot behind Hield at No.7 in last year’s draft.