Indiana Pacers guard Buddy Hield has been rumored to be a target of the Los Angeles Lakers for over a year now, and apparently, that hasn’t changed.
Myles Turner recently “rebuffed” an extension offer from the Pacers, and as a result, the Lakers could still try to trade for Hield by getting rid of Russell Westbrook.
“If Turner isn’t restructured and extended, the Lakers could still pursue Hield, but that would still cost L.A. a first to move off of Westbrook,” wrote Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report.
The Lakers’ biggest weakness is 3-point shooting, and they currently rank just 25th in the NBA in 3-point shooting accuracy at 34.0 percent. Hield would greatly help in that department while also giving them another proven scorer.
He is currently averaging 17.9 points a game while hitting 42.9 percent from beyond the arc. Hield is also a high-volume shooter, as he’s averaging 9.0 3-point attempts per game.
In addition, if Los Angeles were to acquire Turner, he would also help it in the same category. He possesses a 38.0 percent accuracy from downtown this season, although he has gone 0-of-9 from distance in his last three games.
The Lakers have become reluctant to deal Westbrook lately, as he now appears to be an asset for them off the bench. He has provided them with pace while looking to get his teammates involved more than he did last season.
In addition, giving up first-round draft picks, which looks to be the additional price in a potential Hield-Turner trade, has turned L.A. off.
While Hield would boost the team’s outside shooting, he would have a hard time getting lots of minutes, as he would be competing for playing time at the 2-guard position with Austin Reaves and Lonnie Walker IV (when both return from injury).
Most agree a bigger need for the Lakers is productive players at the forward position who have length. Troy Brown Jr., Juan Toscano-Anderson and Wenyen Gabriel have all played well at times this season, but none of them are players who concern opposing coaches, especially in terms of their offensive ability.
