Getty Rob Pelinka, Darvin Ham, Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers have been linked with a trade for the Indiana Pacers duo of Myles Turner and Buddy Hield throughout the summer, but as of yet, nothing has come to fruition.
However, according to Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey, there is still hope a deal can get done – and he has just the trade proposal to make it happen. The deal looks like this:
Los Angeles Lakers Get: Buddy Hield and Myles Turner
Indiana Pacers Get: Russell Westbrook, a 2027 first-round draft pick, and a 2029 first-round draft pick
“Unloading Russ is probably worth at least one first. If the Lakers can also get two difference-makers for the other one, they should jump all over that. In this case, the two veterans presumably available from Indiana are excellent fits alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Hield’s high-volume and high-efficiency three-point shooting would help anywhere, and Turner would allow AD to stay at the 4 without sacrificing the defensive identity that helped L.A. win the title in 2020,” Bailey wrote in his September 19 article.
Both Turner and Hield are reliable perimeter shooters, which plugs a gigantic hole within the Lakers roster, while Turner’s size and rebounding ability also gives the Lakers a genuine center to pair with Anthony Davis moving forward.
Lakers’ ‘Reluctant’ to Trade Both Draft Picks
According to a May 24 report from Jovan Buha of The Athletic, the Lakers are hesitant to include draft compensation in a deal to remove Westbrook from their roster, as they are aware of their limited assets to rebuild the roster once LeBron James eventually calls time on his illustrious career.
“As of now, they have no intention of using a first-round pick to facilitate a Westbrook trade, according to league sources,” Buha reported.
Teams have been demanding the inclusion of at least one first-round pick to take on Russell Westbrook, sources tell @jovanbuha.
What should the Lakers do?
Furthermore, Buha has also previously noted how the Lakers still have faith that Westbrook can be a success in the Purple and Gold, “There is a sentiment among some within the franchise that the right coach and a better supporting cast could smooth over Westbrook’s awkward fit with James and Davis.”
Yet given Los Angeles’ recent additions of Patrick Beverley and Dennis Schroder, the Lakers front office’s stance on Westbrook’s future may have changed – after all, a lot can happen between May and September in the NBA.
Lakers Came Close to Trading Westbrook
In a bombshell report from The Atheltic’s Sam Amick and Jovan Buha on September 16, it was revealed that the Lakers almost struck a deal to move on from Russell Westbrook as part of a four-team blockbuster, but talks stalled and the deal never materialized.
According to the report, the trade discussions would have seen the Lakers acquire Bojan Bogdanovic and Terry Rozier while shedding their superstar guard and all the media baggage that comes with him.
In the wake of the Dennis Schroder/Lakers news, a deep dive with @jovanbuha on what this means for Russell Westbrook, at @TheAthletic
Sources say the prospect of Westbrook coming off the bench is being seriously considered as camp nears
Details here…
“The Lakers discussed a four-team trade with Utah, New York, and Charlotte ahead of the Donovan-Mitchell-to-Cleveland trade, according to league sources. One preliminary iteration of a four-team deal would have had Bojan Bogdanović and Terry Rozier going back to Los Angeles,” Amick and Buha reported.
Both Bogdanovic and Rozier are reliable three-point shooters that also bring other skillsets to the table, and their impact on the Lakers roster would be comparable to what Hield and Turner could also add – as such, the fact that this trade came close to completion could give more weight to Bailey’s trade proposal, and the potential of a similar deal eventually getting over the line.