Bulls acquire Buddy Hield and cash, send Rob Dillingham to Hornets

The Bulls have acquired Buddy Hield and cash considerations from the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Rob Dillingham. Both clubs confirmed the deal Sunday, putting a veteran outside shooter on Chicago’s roster immediately before Monday’s media day and Tuesday’s first training-camp practice.

Hield is a career 39.5 percent three-point shooter on 7.3 attempts per game, according to the NBA’s transaction report. That combination of accuracy and volume is the clear basketball reason to add him: Chicago has a young group to evaluate, and a proven floor spacer can give its ballhandlers and developing forwards more room to work. That is a possible on-court fit, not a guarantee of Hield’s role or minutes under new coach Tiago Splitter.

The move also closes Dillingham’s brief Bulls stint. Chicago obtained the guard from Minnesota at February’s deadline as part of the Ayo Dosunmu deal; he now heads to his third organization since then. Charlotte takes a chance on the 2024 lottery pick’s upside while gaining salary flexibility. The NBA says the trade creates a $9.6 million trade exception for the Hornets. The Bulls receive cash considerations, but the clubs’ announcement does not establish how Chicago will use Hield in its rotation.

NBC Sports reported the teams confirmed the exchange Sunday morning and noted that Charlotte had acquired Hield only days earlier. Hield’s quick turnaround gives Chicago a straightforward camp question: how much shooting the new staff wants around its younger core, and which combinations best protect the other end of the floor. The answers will come from Splitter’s practices and preseason use, not the transaction alone.

The Bulls welcomed Hield in their official post and said he will wear No. 7. Monday’s media day is the first chance to hear directly from the player and staff about the fit; the trade itself is complete.