The Warriors' reported acquisition of Buddy Hield was a blow to division rivals who had been interested in acquiring the hard-shooting guard.
The Athletic's Shams Charania, Anthony Slater and Mike Volkunov reported Thursday that Hield ultimately chose Golden State over the Los Angeles Lakers because he believed the Warriors had a better chance to win a championship.
The Warriors acquired Hield from the Philadelphia 76ers in a sign-and-trade deal in which Golden State gave back one of the second-round draft picks it acquired from the Dallas Mavericks in a sign-and-trade for Klay Thompson.
Golden State and Los Angeles were both looking to revamp their rosters after 2023-24 seasons that underwent expectations, but the Warriors had the edge over the Lakers in the race for Hield.
Golden State is far from being an NBA powerhouse, but Hield's confidence in the Warriors' future competitiveness is a heartening endorsement as the post-Big Three era begins in the Bay Area.
Golden State is on a roll after agreeing to the additions of veteran forward Kyle Anderson and two-way guard De'Anthony Melton, and the Warriors are looking to make the most of what remains of Stephen Curry's illustrious career.
The addition of Hield gave Golden State two of the NBA's most fearsome 3-point shooters, which has led to the Warriors' immense success over the past decade.
Not only does Hield have a reputation as an elite shooter, he also brings incredible durability to the Bay Area, having missed just five games in his eight-year NBA career.
For now, Hield's decision to dump the Lakers for the Warriors at least provides fodder for friendly conversation between fans of both teams as the two big-name teams fight to regain NBA prominence in the powerhouse Western Conference.
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