There have been many reports in recent memory talking about the Lakers and Nets potentially trading Russell Westbrook and Kyrie Irving for one another. There are definitely positives to the trade for both teams.
There have also been some suggestions that the dream scenario for the Lakers would be acquiring Kyrie Irving and another shooter such as Buddy Hield. Perhaps a three-team trade could be the answer. Here is a hypothetical three-team trade involving the Lakers, Nets, and Pacers that would get the Lakers their dream scenario while also helping the Nets and the Pacers achieve their goals.
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Kyrie Irving, Buddy Hield
Brooklyn Nets Receive: Myles Turner, 2029 First-Round Pick, 2023 Second-Round Pick (LAL), 2023 Second-Round Pick (CHI via LAL)
Indiana Pacers Receive: Russell Westbrook, Talen Horton-Tucker, 2027 First-Round Pick
The Los Angeles Lakers Add A Star And An Elite Shooter
The Russell Westbrook experiment clearly did not work out for the Los Angeles Lakers. While some of the team’s issues from last season could be attributed to injuries, it was also evident that Russell Westbrook was a poor fit next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis due to his lack of shooting and high-usage playstyle.
This trade would let the Los Angeles Lakers acquire a better-fitting star in Kyrie Irving, and they would add a top-tier shooter in Buddy Hield as well. Kyrie Irving is a point guard well-known for his shot creation ability and is capable of scoring in isolation at will. He is also effective off-ball, which is important when playing with a high-usage playmaker such as LeBron James. There is no doubt that Irving would fill a lot of holes for the Brooklyn Nets from an offensive standpoint.
Buddy Hield is generally considered to be on a bad contract, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that he is a bad player. In fact, Hield is one of the best shooters in the league, and he averaged 15.6 PPG last season, attempting 8.5 3PT shots a game and converting them at a 36.6% clip. There’s no doubt that LeBron James and Anthony Davis have both historically done well with shooters, and Buddy Hield would bring a much-needed bench scorer for the team.
The Los Angeles Lakers would have to give up Russell Westbrook, Talen Horton-Tucker, as well as two first-round picks and two second-round picks to get this trade done. The two first-round picks in 2027 and 2029 will likely be valuable in the future. However, moving them for the chance at another championship could potentially be beneficial for the team, and with this trade, the Lakers should be right back among the top teams in the Western Conference.
Brooklyn Nets Clear Salary And Add A Solid Defensive Center
For the Brooklyn Nets, this trade would be about moving Kyrie Irving while not having to take on Russell Westbrook’s contract. They would be adding Myles Turner in this trade while clearing around $19 million in cap space.
Myles Turner is on an expiring contract, but the Brooklyn Nets should absolutely re-sign him to a new contract. His defense and rim protection are amazing, and Turner notably led the league in BPG twice during his career. Myles Turner also has some ability to space the floor, and he and Ben Simmons could potentially become one of the best defensive tandems in the league. Turner’s floor spacing at the center position could also benefit Ben Simmons, as he relies heavily on his slashing to score.
The key here though, is the Brooklyn Nets acquiring multiple draft picks to move Kyrie Irving. They would get the Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick and two second-round picks in 2023. Since Kevin Durant requested a trade, the Brooklyn Nets will likely want to retool, and the 2029 first-round pick could be used to draft a prospect in the future or be used in another trade to make the roster better. The two second-round picks would be the sweetener.
Overall, this trade would help the Brooklyn Nets get a respectable return for Kyrie Irving while also not having to take on a huge amount of salary for the 2022-23 season.
Indiana Pacers Acquire A Young Guard Prospect And Draft Compensation
For the Indiana Pacers, this trade is about acquiring Talen Horton-Tucker and a first-round pick while also moving off of Buddy Hield’s contract. To do that, the team would have to take on Russell Westbrook. However, Russell Westbrook’s contract would expire after the 2022-23 season, which would mean the Pacers would have insane amounts of cap space moving forward. They could also potentially buy him out, as it is likely that they would not want him to play a huge role in their franchise as they are rebuilding.
Talen Horton-Tucker would be a solid sixth man for the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers have a solid starting backcourt of Bennedict Mathurin and Tyrese Haliburton. However, they could always use another talented guard to develop, and a sixth man, high minutes role, could be beneficial for Talen Horton-Tucker. He is already a solid slasher and defender, and on the Pacers, he’d get plenty of touches to develop.
The 2027 first-round pick would be an excellent asset for the Pacers, and they are a team well-known for building through the draft. Perhaps they can draft another fantastic prospect with that pick in the future.
This Trade Benefits Everyone Involved
This trade would help the Los Angeles Lakers become a more competitive team while also getting the Nets and Pacers fantastic assets for their respective retools/rebuilds. The Los Angeles Lakers would help both teams clear salaries while also gaining two good players.
It remains to be seen if a trade with a similar framework ends up being worked out between the two teams. It is clear that there are benefits to this move for everyone, and we’ll see what happens in the future.
