Chavano Rainer "Buddy" Hield ( HEELD; born December 17, 1992) is a Bahamian professional basketball player for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Oklahoma Sooners and was named the Big 12 Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year in 2015 and 2016.
In 2016, Hield received four major national player of the year awards: the John R. Wooden Award, the Naismith Award, Sporting News Player of the Year, and the Oscar Robertson Trophy. He was selected with the sixth overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft by the New Orleans Pelicans and was traded to the Sacramento Kings for DeMarcus Cousins in 2017. Hield was dealt to the Indiana Pacers in a package for Domantas Sabonis in 2022. In February 2024, he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. In July 2024, Hield was involved in a six-team trade that involved him getting traded to the Golden State Warriors. In February 2026, he was traded to the Atlanta Hawks.
Hield grew up in Eight Mile Rock, a coastal region west of Freeport, in the West Grand Bahama district in the Bahamas. He was fifth of seven children of his mother Jackie Braynen. Hield received his nickname from his mother after Bud Bundy of the sitcom Married... with Children.
Hield attended Jack Hayward High School in Freeport. He was first featured in high school by The All Bahamian Brand, a basketball magazine from the Bahamas. Hield, as a young eighth-grader, was rated by the All-Bahamian Brand as the best eighth grader in the Bahamas and one to watch. Hield showed his early ability to lead his team from a young age by taking his Jack Hayward basketball team to the championship of the Providence Holiday Tournament on a buzzer-beater and also leading his team to win the Grand Bahamas High School Championships. For his exploits, Hield was named an All Bahamian Brand All Bahamian Selection.
After his performances in The Bahamas, Hield was recruited to attend Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, a basketball prep school in a suburb of Wichita, Kansas. Former Wichita State assistant and then-Sunrise coach Kyle Lindsted recruited the 6-foot 4-inch (1.93 m) guard. In 2011, during Hield's junior year at Sunrise Christian, he led the team to the National Association of Christian Athletes national championship, getting named the MVP of the tournament. As a senior in the 2011–12 season, Hield averaged 22.7 points on .491 shooting in 21.0 minutes per game.
Hield was highly recruited and selected the Oklahoma Sooners over the Kansas Jayhawks.
As a freshman at Oklahoma, Hield scored 7.8 points per game and was the recipient of the team's Most Inspirational Award. He was a second-team All-Big 12 selection as a sophomore after averaging 16.5 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. Hield worked on his defense prior to his junior year and expanded his offensive game to more of a high-volume three-point shooter.
Hield averaged 17.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game as a junior at Oklahoma and shot 41 percent from the field. He led Oklahoma to a 24–11 record and Sweet 16 berth. Despite being a potential 2015 NBA draft selection, Hield decided to return for his senior season. He was a first-team All-Big 12 selection and was named Big 12 Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year.
Hield was listed on the Oscar Robertson Award preseason watchlist as well as the Naismith College Player of the Year preseason watchlist. He recorded a career-high of 46 points in a triple overtime loss to Kansas on January 4, 2016, receiving a standing ovation from the opposing crowd after a postgame interview with Scott Van Pelt. Hield's 46 points tied the record for most points scored by an opponent at Allen Fieldhouse. He was named to the 35-man midseason watchlist for the Naismith Trophy on February 11.
Following his senior year at Oklahoma, Hield won the John R. Wooden Award on April 7, 2016, as the best college basketball player for the 2015–16 season, averaging 25 points, 5.7 rebounds, two assists per game, and led the nation in three-point shots.
New Orleans Pelicans (2016–2017)
2016–17 season: All–Rookie Honors & mid–season trade
On June 23, 2016, Hield was selected by the New Orleans Pelicans with the sixth overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft. On July 22, he signed with the Pelicans. On December 15, Hield had his best outing as a Pelican with 21 points and five three-pointers in a 102–95 victory over the Indiana Pacers. On January 3, 2017, Hield was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month for December.
On February 20, 2017, Hield was traded, along with Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway and 2017 first-round and second-round draft picks, to the Sacramento Kings for DeMarcus Cousins and Omri Casspi. Hield made his Kings debut three days later, scoring 16 points off the bench in a 116–100 victory over the Denver Nuggets. He was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month for March. On April 11, Hield set a new career high with 30 points in a 129–104 victory over the Phoenix Suns. At the end of the season, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
2017–18 season: Career-high three–point percentage
Hield began the 2017–18 season as a starter before switching to a bench role and becoming the team's sixth man after seven games. On November 25, 2017, Hield scored a season-high 27 points off the bench with a career-high seven three-pointers in a narrow 97–95 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. He shot 43.1 percent from three-point range in 2017–18, which placed him ninth in the NBA among qualified players.
2018–19 season: Career-high points per game
In December 2018, Hield had a seven-game streak with 20 points or more. On January 5, 2019, he scored 32 points and had a career-high eight three-pointers in a 127–123 loss to the Warriors. On January 19, Hield made an off-balance, fadeaway three-pointer just before time expired and scored 35 points in a narrow 103–101 victory over the Detroit Pistons. On March 23, he had 25 points and broke the franchise season record for three-pointers in a 112–103 victory over the Suns. Hield made 7 of 14 shots from beyond the arc, giving him 245 three-pointers for the season and surpassing the mark of 240 set by Peja Stojaković in 2003–04. In April, he broke Damian Lillard's NBA record (599) for most three-pointers made in a player's first three seasons.