As the clock ticks toward Thursday afternoon’s NBA trade deadline, it makes perfect sense for the Sixers to search for shooting.
Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer reported Tuesday that Pacers wing Buddy Hield is “a known target for the Sixers.” Fischer also named Pistons forward Bojan Bogdanovic as “another target.”
Both are veteran, high-level three-point shooters. Bogdanovic has taken 5.2 catch-and-shoot threes per game this season and made 40 percent of them. Hield’s averaged 5.0 catch-and-shoot triple attempts and hit 40.9 percent. At 31 years old, he’s already 22nd on the NBA’s all-time made threes list.
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Hield has averaged 25.7 minutes this year, which is his lowest since his 2017-18 season with the Kings. He’s posted 12.0 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game for the 29-23 Pacers, who sit sixth in the Eastern Conference standings. The 30-19 Sixers are fifth.
Bogdanovic missed the start of the season with a right calf strain, but he’s played 28 of Detroit’s past 30 games since returning in early December. The 34-year-old has averaged 20.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists.
Fischer reported that “Detroit officials haven’t indicated to rival teams they’ll even be willing to move Bogdanovic.” He noted the Pistons have “long shown interest in a reunion with Tobias Harris … but in any deal where the Sixers bring back Bogdanovic, it would seem Philadelphia doesn’t want to part with Harris.”
According to Spotrac, Bogdanovic has a $20 million salary this season and an approximately $19 million salary for the 2024-25 campaign, though only $2 million of that is guaranteed. Hield is on an expiring contract and making approximately $18.6 million this year.
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With Joel Embiid sidelined following left knee meniscus surgery, three-point volume a weakness for the Sixers (they’re 30th in three-point frequency, per Cleaning the Glass), and president of basketball operations Daryl Morey an executive who’s long appreciated the importance of quality long-range shooting, the team’s interest in players such as Hield and Bogdanovic is highly reasonable.
We’ll see how Morey’s roster looks late Thursday afternoon.
Read more: Which areas could slumping Sixers most use help before trade deadline?