The Portland Trail Blazers need more shooting. They realized as much after the San Antonio Spurs beat them into submission in the first round of the playoffs. Maybe they should check in on the Atlanta Hawks about Buddy Hield's availability.
It didn't take long for the Hawks to follow the Blazers. Two days after the Blazers' elimination, the Hawks fell to the New York Knicks in the deciding Game 6. Atlanta didn't just lose, though. The Eastern Conference's sixth seed trailed by as many as 61 points before trimming the Knicks' lead to 51 by the time the final buzzer sounded.
Portland can empathize with the Hawks, though. It may not have suffered a 140-89 defeat to San Antonio in their five-game series, but each of its losses had double-digit margins, including 21-point and 19-point blowouts in Games 4 and 5.
Blazers went ice cold from downtown in the series
Most folks, especially outside Rip City, didn't think the Blazers stood a chance against the Western Conference powerhouse. However, with a dominant defense that emerged late in the 2025-26 regular season and Deni Avdija appearing to be in great shape entering the playoffs, an upset didn't seem that impossible.
It was just wishful thinking for the Blazers organization and its fans, as it turned out. Not only were they outclassed in just about every department, but they also failed to give themselves a chance by failing to hit efficiently from long distance.
The Blazers finished the first round shooting just 30.2 percent from three. Only Scoot Henderson found his range, albeit only in the first three meetings.
Could Hield fill a hole on the Blazers' roster?
In the exit interviews, Blazers GM Joe Cronin acknowledged that outside shooting is one of the team's biggest needs this offseason. He said, "The Spurs series showed us that we don't shoot the ball well enough. Shooting is something we knew we were deficient in. Dame (Damian Lillard) will definitely help us, but it's something we need to address going forward. We played a lot of possessions in the mud."
So, it's looking like Portland is going to search for perimeter shooters in the summer. And if Hield is available, it should do its due diligence on the veteran swingman. The 10-year pro has made a name for himself in the league for his 3-point shooting prowess. Over his career, he has averaged 2.9 3-pointers per game with a 39.5 percent efficiency.
Hield was traded to the Hawks at the trade deadline, but he didn't see much action with them. He appeared in just seven contests in the regular season and played just twice in the first round of the playoffs.
With Hield buried in the depth chart and Atlanta likely prioritizing CJ McCollum and Jonathan Kuminga in the offseason, his future with the Hawks could be murky. Only $3 million of his possible $10 million salary for next season is guaranteed. So, the Blazers could acquire him at a low price either via trade or in free agency.
There's a snag with acquiring Hield
The problem with bringing in the 33-year-old marksman is that minutes might be hard to come by for him in Portland. He might turn out to be a liability on defense, and his timeline doesn't exactly align with that of the team's younger core players.
However, if the Blazers find themselves in need of a 3-point specialist who likely won't cost too much, Hield could be an intriguing target.
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