Warriors have only one real reason to refuse to trade Buddy Hield

As the Golden State Warriors enter the first full year of their self-defined, two-year championship window, all the front office's energy must be on maximizing the remainder of superstar Stephen Curry's career.

With this intention in mind, they have made clear that they are looking for players who can immediately fit into the team's rotation and be reliable on both ends of the floor, revealing the reason behind their unwillingness to trade sharpshooter Buddy Hield this offseason.

Although Hield is largely a streaky shooter, and has been for much of his career, the Warriors are evidently hoping that he can become a more reliable scorer off the bench for a team desperately in need of more perimeter shooting, rendering him one of the biggest X-factors on the roster next season.

Hield must become the plug-and-play piece that the Warriors are searching for

When Hield came back in the emotional Klay Thompson trade, fans and the organization alike had high hopes for the guard's potential impact beside Curry. Prior to his coming to The Bay, Hield was a 40% career 3-point shooter on high volume, and many hoped that this trend would help Golden State elevate their offense immensely in the absence of Thompson.

Yet, Hield's effectiveness waxed and waned throughout his first season with the Warriors. Although he shot 37% from beyond the arc on the season, he had multiple brutal shooting stretches that hindered his reliability within head coach Steve Kerr's rotation.

Still, it should not be forgotten that Hield had some of the highest highs on Golden State's roster last season. Across Game 7 against the Houston Rockets and Game 1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Hield shot an astounding 14-for-19 from 3-point range, propelling the Warriors to back-to-back wins in the playoffs.

As NBA Insider Jake Fischer reported on the latest edition of The Stein Line newsletter, Golden State is decidedly seeking out players who can immediately become reliable pieces of the rotation in any potential Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade.

If Hield is able to level out some of the valleys in his game, perhaps through a slightly reduced role on the bench, he could certainly become that player for the Warriors, leveraging his skills as a sharpshooter to flip games in the team's favor during the non-Curry minutes.

Therefore, the team's unwillingness to part from Hield in a Kuminga trade likely signifies their belief that he can evolve into this player within the team's system: a faith that may leave some fans highly skeptical.