Hield Stays with Hawks
Atlanta Hawks Exercise Team Option to Retain Sharpshooter Buddy Hield for Upcoming NBA Season
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The Atlanta Hawks will fully guarantee Buddy Hield's $9,658,536 salary for the 2026-27 NBA season, according to HoopsHype. The decision came just before a June 28 deadline, ending days of uncertainty over whether the veteran sharpshooter would stay with the team.
Had Atlanta waived Hield by the deadline, the team would have owed him only $3 million. By picking up the full guarantee, the Hawks are on the hook for roughly $6.7 million more — a move analysts say is driven more by trade strategy than rotation plans, per HoopsHype.
Hawks Pushed Deadline Back to Weigh Their Options
The Hawks did not make this call quickly. The original guarantee deadline was June 25, but Atlanta pushed it back to June 28 to, in the words of NBA insider Chris Haynes, "flush out options." That three-day window gave the front office time to explore trades and weigh the roster picture before committing fully.
Hield, 33, arrived in Atlanta on February 5 via a trade with the Golden State Warriors. The Hawks sent Kristaps Porziņģis to Golden State and received Hield and Jonathan Kuminga in return, per Yahoo Sports. Hield appeared in only seven regular-season games after the deal and two playoff games before the Hawks lost to the New York Knicks in the first round.
Hield's $9.7M Contract Becomes a Trade Chip
Most analysts do not expect Hield to stay on the Hawks' bench all season. Instead, they see his now-guaranteed $9.7 million salary as a useful tool for trades. A fully guaranteed contract at that number can be packaged with draft picks or other players to bring back a bigger name without giving up young talent, according to HoopsHype.
The Hawks' guard rotation is already crowded. Atlanta drafted Kingston Flemings with the No. 8 pick and signed CJ McCollum to a one-year, $21 million deal. With Trae Young running the offense, there is little room for Hield to play major minutes. Beat writers have called him the "odd man out" in the current rotation, per Yahoo Sports.
Hield's Shooting Skill Contrasts With Limited Atlanta Role
Hield is one of the best three-point shooters of his generation. He has hit 39.5% of his threes over his career, per HoopsHype. On April 12, he reminded everyone of that skill by scoring 31 points on 7-of-11 shooting from deep in the regular-season finale against Miami.
Still, his fit in Atlanta has been awkward. Coach Quin Snyder kept him out of the lineup for most of the Knicks playoff series, citing defensive concerns. Hield's one-dimensional game — elite shooting, limited defense — made him hard to play in high-stakes moments, analysts noted, per Yahoo Sports.
Hawks Face Cap Math and a Future Player Option Risk
With Hield's $9.7 million on the books, Atlanta is carrying roughly nine players on a salary cap of about $146 million. That leaves room for the non-taxpayer mid-level exception — worth around $15 million — to add another free agent this summer, per HoopsHype.
The long-term risk is real, though. Hield holds a $10.1 million player option for 2027-28. If he stays in Atlanta and sees little playing time, the Hawks could end up overpaying a 35-year-old for a minimal role. For now, team president Onsi Saleh is betting that the contract's trade value outweighs that risk, per Yahoo Sports.
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