On Tuesday, someone who looked like Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka was spotted at an airport presumably headed to the state of Indiana.
https://twitter.com/SportEnthus562/status/1592568584282468354
Indiana Pacers Buddy Hield posted a tweet of his own that some feel was connected.
Ayyooo👀👀
— Buddy Love !!!! (@buddyhield) November 16, 2022
Everyone has known that Los Angeles needs to make some sort of significant trade if it is to have any chance of competing for an NBA championship anytime soon, especially with LeBron James nearing his 38th birthday.
The team is currently 3-10 and seemingly on the brink of disaster unless it turns things around soon.
One trade offer that has caused incessant rumors over the last few months has been one that would supposedly send Russell Westbrook and draft capital to the Pacers for Hield and center Myles Turner.
The basketball world seems split on whether it would be a prudent deal for the Lakers. Some around the league think the team will eventually give in and do the rumored trade, but it has been reported that people inside its front office don’t think Hield and Turner would be enough to make it a title contender.
Hield, who is shooting 40.8 percent from 3-point range on 10.0 attempts per game this season, would give L.A. a bona fide threat from downtown. The team is currently the worst in the NBA in 3-point shooting percentage.
Turner, meanwhile, would provide it with a shot-blocking, rim-protecting center who could allow Anthony Davis to play the 4 and be more of a disrupter defensively instead of having to primarily patrol the paint.
Many have also said Turner would also provide floor spacing for the Lakers. However, he has shot under 35 percent from beyond the arc in each of the last three seasons.
The team may wait for guard Dennis Schroder and center Thomas Bryant to make their regular season debuts before pulling the trigger on any potential trade. Bryant has shot over 40 percent from deep in the past, and he can also give the Lakers some shot-blocking, defense and energy.
