September 27: The deal went live as both clubs issued press releases (Twitter links).
September 26: The Bulls will get Buddy Hield plus cash from the Hornets in exchange for Rob Dillingham, sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
It’s Hield’s second move this week after Atlanta sent him to Charlotte on Tuesday, and because his salary isn’t bundled with another contract, he can be shifted again immediately, ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (Twitter link).
Chicago assumes a higher payroll, paying Hield $9.7 million this season with a partially guaranteed $10.1 million option for 2027‑28. Dillingham remains on his rookie deal, earning $6.9 million now and an $8.8 million team option for next year, due by Nov 2. The cash the Bulls receive will offset the salary gap, Marks adds.
The Hornets, still carrying 17 fully guaranteed deals, are trimming payroll to handle dead money if they must cut two players to meet the 15‑man limit, Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron observes (Twitter link). He expects Charlotte to slot Dillingham’s contract into its Tyus Jones trade exception and generate a fresh $9.7 million TPE for Hield.
The transaction nudges Chicago over the salary cap, at least for now, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link), yet the club stays $34.6 million clear of luxury‑tax territory. Charlotte sits $25.6 million beneath the tax line.
At 33, Hield adds veteran shooting depth off the bench, having hit 34.9% from three in 51 games with Golden State and Atlanta last year while averaging 7.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists. For my money, his range instantly lifts Chicago’s floor spacing. This marks his seventh trade in a decade‑long NBA career.
Dillingham heads to his third team after the eighth‑overall pick in 2024 fell short of expectations, posting 9.6 PPG in 21.5 minutes over 30 games since Minnesota dealt him to Chicago in February. Can he rediscover his form in Charlotte next season?