Hield knew he would be traded since his agent requested a trade from the Pacers before the start of the season after extension talks went nowhere.
“If a team doesn’t want to sign you again, we asked them early on and you know how it is. That’s the game,” Hield said. “They say they want to sign you and then once that doesn’t happen, the conversations don’t really continue on the phone, and it’s like talking to a wall, and no one answers. But after that, you’re under contract, and you have to, like, honor your contract. So it’s one of those deals where you have to come every day and be professional. But I know the vibe was so different.
Hield is in the final year of his contract, so he becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer. The Oklahoma product enjoyed playing for the Sixers, who sit in seventh place in the East.
“It really worked,” Hield said. “I know the void they were missing was shooting. We just have to figure out how to play together and weather the storm until Joel returns.
One of the best shooters in NBA history, Hield averaged 15.5 points while shooting 44.0% from the field and 42.2% from beyond the arc with the Sixers, who are trying to stay afloat while Joel Embiid is recovering from knee surgery.
“You want to join a team that wants you,” Hield said. “You don’t want to go to a team where you’re a part of it and it’s like, ‘We’re going to try this.’ Other teams trap Embiid, so with a 3-point shooter to keep guys honest, I know the reason I was traded here.
