NBA Draft: Ranking the best players selected 6th overall since 1995

3) Buddy Hield: 2016 NBA Draft (New Orleans Pelicans)

Buddy Hield left the Oklahoma Sooners as one of the NCAA’s top basketball players. He received the 2016 Naismith Trophy after he averaged 25 points/game and made more than half his field goals from downtown at a 45.7% clip. He entered the 2016 NBA Draft as arguably the best shooter amongst his counterparts. The New Orleans Pelicans drafted him accordingly with their pick.

Hield started his rookie campaign on a very strong note before the Pelicans traded him to the Sacramento Kings in a package that netted them DeMarcus Cousins. Hield quickly formed a dynamic duo with De’Aaron Fox in the backcourt. Hield played as a 6th man during the 2017-18 season, hitting 43% of his shots from behind the arc.

Hield became the full-time starter during the 2018-19 season. He became a lethal three-point sniper as he shot 3.4 threes/game at 43%. By the end of the season, Hield made 599 three-pointers through his first three seasons, breaking Damian Lillard’s record for most threes during a player’s first three seasons in the league.

Before the 2019-20 season, some controversy ensued regarding Hield and a looming contract extension. However, the Kings rewarded his production by signing Hield to a 4-year, $94 million deal.

At the same time, new coach Luke Walton decided to shake up the lineup in December and benched Hield. While the news disappointed him, Hield’s production actually improved off the bench for a short while. He participated in the 2020 Three Point Contest during All-Star Weekend and defeated Devin Booker in the finals to become the champion.