Getty Lakers' Rob Pelinka and Darvin Ham
The Los Angeles Lakers are interested in trading for a $94 million star shooting guard this summer.
According to a June 29 report from Matt Moore of the Action Network, the Lakers have “circled back” to Buddy Hield as a player of interest. Los Angeles nearly acquired Hield from the Sacramento Kings last offseason. However, the franchise chose to trade for Russell Westbrook from the Washington Wizards instead.
Hield is currently a member of the Indiana Pacers. The sharpshooter signed a four-year, $94 million contract with the Kings in October 2019. Sacramento traded Hield to Indiana in February. The Oklahoma product will make $20.5 million in 2022-23 and $18.6 million in 2023-24.
Hield Considered Lakers’ Dream Trade Target
In a May 26 column, Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report opined that Hield would be the perfect player for the Lakers to trade for this offseason since the team needs more shooters around superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
“Could the Los Angeles Lakers aim higher than Buddy Hield this summer? Sure, but only if they dangled Anthony Davis. Perhaps his injury issues could push them in that direction, but they won’t find a better player in return than a healthy Davis, who’s been a top-five NBA talent,” Buckley wrote. “If L.A. instead plans a summer blockbuster around Russell Westbrook and draft picks, then it needs to find players who better complement LeBron James. A net-shredder such as Buddy Hield would be perfect.
“Historically, James has done his best work when surrounded by a swarm of shooters, which makes it all the more head-scratching why this front office hasn’t acquired more of them. Hield could help correct that imbalance in a hurry. Since 2018-19, he’s been good for 3.6 threes per night on 39.4 percent shooting.”
Hield is one of the greatest shooters in NBA history. He’s 50th all-time in made 3-pointers (1,417) and has never shot below 36.0% from beyond the arc in a season. The 29-year-old has career averages of 15.9 points and 4.3 rebounds in 468 regular-season games with the New Orleans Pelicans, Kings and Pacers while shooting 39.8% from 3-point range.
How Can Lakers Get Hield?
Westbrook picked up his $47.1 million player option with the Lakers for the 2022-23 season. However, the one-time MVP can still be traded this summer.
In a May 23 column, Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News proposed that the Lakers trade Westbrook, Talen Horton-Tucker and draft picks to the Pacers for Hield and Malcolm Brogdon. That trade works under CBA rules.
Brogdon and Hield project to mesh well with James and Davis since they can roam around the arc while the Lakers stars have the ball and spot-up and hit open shots. Brogdon is a career 37.6% shooter from beyond the arc and Hield made 262 3-pointers in 2021-22.
The Lakers made a massive mistake trading for Westbrook instead of Hield last summer. Westbrook was second in the league in turnovers and his effective field goal percentage of 47.6% was sixth-worst in the NBA in 2021-22.
Los Angeles could be more dynamic on offense with Hield next to James and Davis in 2022-23 since he’s a lethal 3-point shooter.