Can Buddy Hield Be An Upgrade Over Klay Thompson For the Golden State Warriors?

This 2024 offseason saw the end of an era in the Bay Area when Klay Thompson chose to sign with the Dallas Mavericks in free agency, ending his storied 13-year run with the Golden State Warriors .

With Thompson leaving, the Warriors were able to pivot and make moves to compensate for the departure of Stephen Curry 's Splash Brother. One of them was acquiring sharpshooting guard Buddy Hield in a sign-and-trade with the Philadelphia 76ers .

Given how everything played out for Thompson and the Warriors last season, the time was ripe for a change for both sides. Thompson will get a fresh start in Dallas playing alongside Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving . Meanwhile, Golden State was able to bring in more depth, while adding an elite shooter that fits well in Steve Kerr's motion-heavy offense.

Nonetheless, it is worth asking: were the Warriors actually able to make an upgrade by bringing in Buddy Hield to essentially replace Klay Thompson?

Is Buddy Hield an Upgrade over Klay Thompson?

Hield brings the same sharpshooting qualities that Thompson did

Bringing in Hield was perceived as a way for the Warriors to replace what they lost from Thompson: his elite three-point shooting.

Despite a rather subpar 2023-24 campaign split between Indiana and Philadelphia, there seems to be a lot of optimism surrounding Hield as he makes the move to the Bay Area.

ESPN recently ran a poll and the 31-year-old somehow received votes and finished seventh for "which player will get their first All-Star nod."

Frankly, nobody is really expecting Hield to suddenly make an All-Star leap at this stage of his career. But given how he fits Golden State's three-point heavy system, it's easy to envision that he will thrive in his new environment.

Since entering the league in the 2016-17 season, Hield has made 1,924 three-pointers. Only Stephen Curry has made more.

Likewise, there have only been a handful of players who have had multiple seasons with 250+ three-pointers. To nobody's surprise, Curry is the runaway leader with 10 such seasons. Hield is second with five.

For comparison, Thompson has only had four such campaigns.

With that, the point stands. Hield is as elite a marksman as anyone in NBA history. With Curry's gravitational pull, Draymond Green 's ability to find open shooters, and Coach Kerr's motion-heavy offense, the ingredients are there for Hield to succeed in Golden State.

But is Hield an upgrade over Thompson? Let's dive into the numbers a bit more.

Buddy Hield vs. Klay Thompson: By the Numbers

Comparing Hield and Thompson's shooting stats this past 2023-24 NBA season

At this point of their careers, Thompson and Hield are more or less the same archetype of players. They are best-suited as catch-and-shoot guys who thrive as off-ball movers and stand-still snipers with quick triggers.

Hield has been this kind of player since he entered the league. The same cannot be said for Thompson.

In his prime, Thompson was one of the best 3-and-D players in the NBA. However, due to his age and injury history, his athleticism has taken a huge hit. As a result, he is no longer as effective on that end of the floor

Nonetheless, though his efficiency isn't what it was in his prime, Thompson is still one of the better three-point shooters in the NBA.

He shot 38.7 percent from three this past season, which is still well above the league average. Likewise, he is just one season removed from leading the NBA in three-pointers made, while shooting 41.2 percent.

Nonetheless, diving into Hield and Thompson's shot profiles, it seems like Steph Curry's new "Splash Buddy" fits what Golden State needs.

Over the last couple of years, Thompson has had a tendency to force shots either early into the clock, or even with a defender draped on him, which has resulted in a ton of contested looks.

As for Hield, he seems more self-aware of what the bread-and-butter of his offense is — and that is shooting open and catch-and-shoot shots.

Looking at the numbers, Thompson may have been slightly more efficient from the outside overall.

But Hield cashed in his threes more efficiently on catch-and-shoot and wide-open opportunities, which is likely the kind of shots Steve Kerr wants him to take in the offense.

Likewise, Hield had a better shot selection profile than Thompson.

Hield Has a Chance to Make an Impact

Buying into his role will be crucial

Obviously, it is still too early to give a verdict on whether Hield is actually going to be an upgrade over Thompson. It is likely that he brings just exactly what the four-time champion brought in terms of his ability to spread the floor with his outside shooting and movement.

Defensively, Hield won't bring much to impact the game on that end. But neither has Thompson ever since he returned from the two debilitating injuries that altered his career.

Perhaps the biggest difference will be Hield's mindset. Draymond Green admitted he thought Thompson wasn't himself in his final season in the Bay Area and as a result, this affected the way he played on the court.

Hield, meanwhile, is entering this campaign with a new lease and a fresh mindset.

Losing Thompson obviously hurts, given everything he meant for the Warriors — and Hield will never be able to replicate what he brought in his 13 years in the Bay.

Kevin Durant himself called the Warriors legend a "Bay Area God."

But if all goes well, there is a good chance Buddy Hield could be a more impactful player for Golden State than Klay Thompson was in his last season with the franchise.