“The psyche and everything, it becomes a lot,” Buddy Hield said in an exclusive interview with Stadium. “The pressure, just being traded, you don’t know what’s going on.”

57 games into his rookie season with the Pelicans, Hield got traded to the Kings in a package for DeMarcus Cousins. The former Oklahoma star was struggling up to that point, but he was able to finish strong down the stretch in Sacramento.

Buddy Hield 2016-17 Season Splits	Points	FG%	3-Point %	Assists	Rebounds
New Orleans Pelicans (57 Games)	8.6	39.3	36.9	1.4	2.9
Sacramento Kings (25 Games)	15.1	48.0	42.8	1.8	4.1

Hield was a highly decorated star coming out of college. He was a four-year player, but his development as a three-point shooter and intangibles as a leader kept him near the top of most draft boards. After cracking the rotation as a freshman, Hield went on to be a three-year starter before leading the Sooners to the Final Four in his senior season. He won the Wooden Award and Naismath Player of the Year trophy before being taken sixth overall by the Pelicans in the 2018 NBA draft.

The Pelicans made the splash for Cousins in an effort to make the playoffs, but the trade left Hield in limbo during his rookie season. Now, two seasons after the move, he’s powering the Kings toward relevance for the first time in more than a decade.

“I think I’ve built my way out of that frustration,” Hield said. “Just trying to establish a role, establish a home and try to keep going.”

After growing from a 3-point shooting threat to an all-around scorer, Hield has helped the Kings get off to a surprising 13-12 start. He’s becoming one of the top scorers among shooting guards this season.

Buddy Hield Stats	Points	Position Rank	FG%	Position Rank	3-Point %	Position Rank
2018-19 Season (Through Dec. 10)	18.8	10	47.4	4	42.2	4

“[I’m] just trying to take advantage every time I can get it,” Hield said on his mentality this year. “When they need me to score the ball, [I] do that.” He said he thinks he can still take more efficient shots, giving the Kings reason to believe his scoring numbers could hold even if his shooting percentage drops.

Hield and backcourt mate De’Aaron Fox have propelled Sacramento to the one of the top offenses in the league this season. The Kings are second in pace and sixth in points per game, in large part due to Hield and Fox combining for 36.6 points per contest.

“It’s been great. Fox is a good kid to be around,” Hield said on the backcourt’s development in the last two seasons. “I just love being around him because the style we play suits both of our games. Get up and down and run and have fun and shoot the basketball.”

It’s not just Hield’s offensive development that has Sacramento poised to make noise in the Western conference. His leadership skills and drive for excellence bode well for the Kings going forward.

Hield was the last player to leave Monday’s shootaround and he didn’t get off the court until he made the shots he wanted to. Hield has the opportunity to develop as a leader for one of the youngest teams in the NBA, something he can carry over from his time in Norman.

“Learn from the coaching staff, learning about the players and growing the players, and getting better each and every day” Hield said on helping the Kings build toward the future. “The biggest thing we can do is learn and get better.”

For now, the guard will attempt to power a high-octane offense to Sacramento’s best season since 2005-06 on a path back to relevance. That’s something the Kings desperately need.