The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

CHAVANO “Buddy” Hield was the focus of trade rumours following a much maligned season individually and for his Sacramento Kings, but the veteran guard said he is ready to move on and contribute to team development.

“They love me here in SAC, that’s why I’m still here,” Hield said with a wry smile at Kings media day yesterday.

“It’s the business we live in, each and every day you have to compete. I can’t control that, my job is to come in and work my butt off to try to come in and produce wins. I get paid lots of money to do this so I’m blessed every day to come out here and compete...Whatever happens, happens, my job is to go out and play basketball and I love to do that at a high level.”

On draft night, Hield was the principle of a trade package that would have sent him to the Los Angeles Lakers, but the team eventually shifted toward the eventual deal to trade for Russell Westbrook.

Tristan Thompson, new to the Kings roster, took control of the microphone and answered for Hield when he asked about the offseason trade scenarios and failed trade to the Lakers.

“Day one of training camp Buddy Hield in a Kings jersey, that’s where his mind and focus is at, he’s going to have a stellar year,” Thompson said.

“I’m going to set him some great wide pin downs to get him open, so that’s what’s on his mind right now. What’s in the past is in the past, you cannot control that, when you look in the rear view is when you crash, you look forward and ahead.”

Hield and the Sacramento Kings’ disappointing end to the 2020-21 season included an extension of the NBA’s longest playoff drought. The Kings finished the season 31-41, the franchise’s 15th consecutive season without a playoff berth which tied an NBA record.

He ended the season with averages of 16.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. He ranked fourth in the league with 2433 minutes played.

“I’m excited to see where everyone is at mentally coming into training camp. We all say we want to win but we have to show it and really want it. We have to come together as a team and figure it out,” Hield said, “We have the pieces, we just have to put it together and pay attention to the details. That’s been the frustrating part of this group, we have guys that are capable of doing it but we just have to figure it out.”

In recent years, Hield has shifted in and out of head coach Luke Walton’s starting lineup.

“Whatever I’m called to do I have to be ready to do it regardless, like it or not. That’s part of being a professional. To just go out and compete. Things happen, things change, my goal is to be a starter whenever I get on the court, but whatever the team needs I have to be prepared for that,” Hield said, “Last year was different in a lot of ways you just have to learn how to adjust, no matter the situation you learn how to adjust and move on. He’s a professional sport man, no complaints.”

Walton added: “I’ve had good conversations with Buddy Hield. He’s been open to knowing what his team needs to improve. He’s up for anything. He’s been working in Sacramento for a week.”

Hield now has 1,065 threes during his tenure as a King, and will head into next season four shy of Peja Stojakovic’s franchise career record of 1,070. He set a new career high for made threes in a single season with 282.

In March, he also became the fastest player to make 1000 career made three-pointers in NBA history. Hield set the mark in just 350 games to reach the milestone faster than Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors who held the previous record of 369 games. The top four also includes the Warriors’ Klay Thompson (372 games) and Damian Lillard of the Portland Trailblazers (385 games).

Hield’s early season struggles saw his streak of consecutive games with at least one made three pointer come to an end on February 5. At the time, it was the longest active streak in the NBA. In April, Hield also saw his consecutive game streak come to an end with 272 games played. He missed a game for the first time since November 20, 2017.

He finished the season 39.1 percent from three point range, his worst year since his rookie season where he also shot 39.1 percent. He took 10.2 attempts last season, the highest of his career.

“I set a lot of goals last year, but I really didn’t get to my goals. This summer I worked on my body, keeping it in shape, being more fit, staying locked in with certain details with my body,” he said, “I set certain goals for myself but I keep them to myself. The big thing that motivates me this year is people saying I took a step back - 3 point percentage was down, I’m just more motivated this year, I always have something to prove.”

The Kings will begin the regular season on the road against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on October 20. The Kings are one of just four teams this season without a single nationally televised game.