The Los Angeles Lakers nearly acquired guard Buddy Hield this past offseason, and it appears as though the team may be looking for a second chance to acquire the talented shooter.
With the hours winding down before the trade deadline, the Lakers are reportedly one of the teams “circling” Hield. It sounds like the Dallas Mavericks are doing the same.
"I do think teams like Dallas and the Lakers are still circling Buddy Hield. They had conversations with the Kings on acquiring him before he was dealt." (via @JakeLFischer on @SportsGridRadio) pic.twitter.com/NPzvCXcBCM
— The Trade Deadline (@_TradeDeadline) February 9, 2022
Hield was recently sent to the Indiana Pacers in a massive deal, but the Pacers are reportedly “open” to trading him. Given what the Lakers have in terms of trade assets, it will be interesting to see if the Pacers bite on anything that the Lakers potentially offer.
The Lakers would likely be a better team than they are right now had they decided to acquire Hield in the offseason. Of course, the team ultimately decided to focus its trading efforts on acquiring Russell Westbrook. That decision has turned out to be something of a disaster.
Though Westbrook is averaging 18.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game, he has never looked comfortable with his Lakers teammates. Moreover, the team apparently no longer believes that it can play at a high level with Westbrook playing alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
As for Hield, he’s averaging 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game this season. He’s shooting 38.2 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from deep. Those numbers aren’t incredible, but he could potentially serve as a solid shooting option on offense.
Right now, things seem dire in L.A. It’s unclear if a trade for Hield would fix the team’s problems. However, it is clear that those in control of the Lakers know something has to change if the team wants to get back into the playoff picture and compete for a title.
The question fans are likely asking themselves now is whether or not those changes can even be made.
