A new report indicates that the Los Angeles Lakers have had discussions about acquiring Buddy Hield and Myles Turner from Indiana Pacers, though no deal is imminent.
The Lakers and Pacers have indeed exchanged trade proposals on a swap to try to bring Myles Turner and Buddy Hield to L.A., league sources confirm, but no deal is close.
The Lakers' offer, I'm told, did attach unspecified draft compensation to Russell Westbrook's $47M contract.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 22, 2022
Earlier this week, such talks had apparently gone nowhere, with a potential deal for the pair described as “dead.” One of the stumbling blocks has been the massive contract that’s due to Lakers guard Russell Westbrook.
The 29-year-old Hield has played six seasons in the NBA with three different teams. Last season, he split time between the Sacramento Kings and Pacers.
For his career, Hield is averaging 15.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. In addition, he’s connected on 3-pointers at a rate of 39.8 percent over the course of his time in the league.
The 26-year-old Turner has spent his entire career with the Pacers after being the 11th overall section of the 2015 NBA Draft.
During his Pacers tenure, Turner has averaged 12.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 1.2 assists per game. That aggressive style within the paint is something that the Lakers would love to have after their struggles last season.
The Westbrook situation is one that’s caused the Lakers plenty of headaches since his arrival last year. Whether or not they’re able to finally send him elsewhere is a question that still awaits an answer.
