The Golden State Warriors are still reeling after the emotional, yet inevitable loss of Bay Area icon Klay Thompson, who via a sign-and-trade is on his way to the Lone Star State to join the defending Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks. The departure of Thompson marks the end to one of the greatest dynasties in sports history. With Thompson — along with head coach Steve Kerr, two-time MVP Stephen Curry, and jack-of-all-trades Draymond Green — the Warriors made six NBA Finals appearances in an eight-year span, winning four titles and coming damn close to winning another two.

Among the handful of others who have been in Golden State for the duration of this dynastic run is Chris DeMarco. DeMarco has been with the Warriors in some capacity since 2012, serving as a Video Coordinator, scout, Director of Player Personnel and Assistant Coach under both Mark Jackson and Steve Kerr. DeMarco has made many contributions to the Warriors organization over the last decade-plus, and that includes serving as a recruiter of the newest addition to the Golden State Warriors roster, sharpshooting veteran Buddy Hield.

Buddy Hield will sign a four-year deal with the Warriors after being acquired via sign-and-trade from the Philadelphia 76ers. But for the better part of a week, the Warriors have had Hield on their radar, with DeMarco serving as the primary point of contact.

“Hield is currently in Valencia, Spain, starring for the Bahamian national team, which is two wins away from a shocking Olympics bid and is coached by Warriors assistant Chris DeMarco, a helpful ally in the recruitment of Hield,” writes Shams Charania and Mark Puleo of The Athletic. “It had been trending this direction for a couple days, but Hield didn’t make a final decision until after a late Wednesday night call with Steve Kerr and then a night to sleep on it.”

While weighing his options, which included the Detroit Pistons and Los Angeles Lakers, Buddy Hield has played a key role in putting the Bahamian men's national team on the brink of making their first ever Olympic appearance. In Group Play wins over Finland and Poland, Hield has averaged 20.5 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists per game for a Bahamas team that also includes DeAndre Ayton and Eric Gordon. The Bahamas have a Semi-final game versus Lebanon on Saturday, and with a win, they'd play either Spain or Finland in Sunday's Final. Chris DeMarco has been the coach of the team since 2019.

Philadelphia 76ers guard Buddy Hield (17) shoots the ball over Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma (33) in the second half at Capital One Arena
© Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Have the Golden State Warriors found a new Splash Brother?

Since the beginning of the 2016-17 season, Stephen Curry (2,154) and Buddy Hield (1,924) are first and second in the NBA in three pointers made. From 2018-19 to 2022-23, Hield finished in the top five of made three-pointers each season. His 1,924 three-pointers made are 22nd-most in NBA history, and he's one of just 48 qualified players with a career three-point shooting percentage of 40 percent or better.

Aside from 40 percent three-point shooting, durability has been Buddy Hield's best quality as an NBA player. The 31-year-old has missed only six games in his eight-year NBA career, and last year with both the Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers, Hield played in an incredible 84 games.