The NBA has undergone a three-point revolution. It’s simple math: 3 is more than 2. It took the league a long time to put that equation together. Now that it has, it’s not going to look back. Meanwhile, some teams have made up the vanguard of that revolution.
The Golden State Warriors have been one of them. Steph Curry has bent the geometry of a basketball floor. His ability to shoot off the dribble from well behind the three-point line has changed the sport. Pick a gym in any place in the world, and you’ll find kids launching deep triples that have their coaches pulling their hair out.
As a result, three-point specialists have more value than ever before. Take Buddy Hield of the Indiana Pacers. He doesn’t do much besides shoot, but he’s such a lethal shooter that he’d start on almost any NBA team. Could the Pacers trade him to the Warriors?
The Trade Proposal
Indiana Pacers Receive: G Chris Paul, 2026 First-Round Pick (GSW)
Golden State Warriors Receive: G/F Buddy Hield, F/C Daniel Theis
With that said, everyone doesn’t love the three-point era. Some would say that the game has been compromised. To be sure, it’s changed. Is it worse than it used to be?
That’s debatable. Realistically, it boils down to your preferences. Modern NBA basketball is high-octane. It’s a product of maximized efficiency. As a result, there’s less variety in a team’s shot diet. Now, teams only want the best shots. The midrange jumper used to be a prominent weapon. Now, it’s a last resort.
Like it or not, it’s here to stay. That’s the nature of progress. Teams won’t revert to relying on long twos when everybody else is getting threes and layups. Should the Warriors really make this move to bolster their three-point shooting even more?
Why The Golden State Warriors Do The Deal
Realistically, it depends on how Paul fits in. There’s plenty of room to speculate on how this partnership will go. For starters, Paul’s slow, pick-and-roll heavy attack may not fit in with the freewheeling Warriors. More broadly, Paul is old – it’s entirely possible that his production will fall off severely in 2023-24.
Luckily, the Warriors have to wait anyway. They just traded for Paul, so he’s subject to trade restrictions. If he’s thriving with them, they won’t look to move him. On the other hand, if this doesn’t look like it’s working out, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Warriors move the legendary point guard.
This would be quite the move. Adding Hield’s elite shooting to the Warriors’ already spaced-out offense should make them lethal. Meanwhile, don’t sell Theis short either. This is the type of undervalued, heady veteran who tends to find his way in Golden State. Should the Pacers really part with him?
Why The Indiana Pacers Do The Deal
For the price of a first-round pick, sure. Make no mistake: That’s the main reason the Pacers make this move. This is a young team that should be happy to add a first-round pick. On the other hand, there could be other benefits for this organization as well.
After all, the Pacers are built around Tyrese Haliburton. He’s one of the most promising young point guards in the NBA. It’s difficult to imagine a better mentor for him than Paul. Haliburton could learn a lot from the man who’s long been referred to as the Point God.
Finally, Hield’s contract is about to expire. So is Paul’s. Still, Hield is young enough that he’s likely to command a hefty sum on the open market. On the other hand, Paul is on his last big deal. The Pacers have financial motives for making this deal as well – even if it leaves them a bit behind the three-point revolution.