Arguably the biggest issue the Los Angeles Lakers faced last season was their lack of roster depth. Shooting and defense were both a problem for the team, and addressing that has been a priority for the team this offseason. While Kyrie Irving is seen as a player they can add so they can challenge for the title again, they have to also focus on adding quality role players if that deal seems dead.
Buddy Hield is the name that has come up the most when it comes to a good three-point shooter that the Lakers can acquire. The Pacers reportedly turned down a trade involving both Hield and Turner for Westbrook and some assets, but the latest information now says that the Lakers can get Hield in another deal.
Marc Stein reported that if the Lakers can offer Talen Horton-Tucker, who they have been hesitant to part with in the past, to the Pacers, along with some picks, that could be enough to land Buddy Hield.
“Indiana would be expected to buy Westbrook out if such a trade came to fruition … which is another likely obstacle because buying out such a big salary is hardly the norm for Pacers owner Herb Simon. It is likewise believed that the teams have discussed a deal focused on Hield, without Turner involved, that would still require the Lakers to furnish draft compensation to Indiana’s liking as part of a package centered around Talen Horton-Tucker.
This might just work for the Lakers, Horton-Tucker has not taken the sort of leap that the organization and fans were expecting from him. And Hield can score from deep at a very high clip, making him an ideal role player for the team at this point. It remains to be seen if a deal can be done, but if nothing else is working out, this wouldn’t exactly be a bad trade for the Lakers.
