The Los Angeles Lakers have an almost revamped roster heading into training camp. The front office has conducted some good deals in the past few months bringing in the likes of Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, among others.
The Lakers also explored several opportunities that didn’t materialize in a trade or signing.
“One player that stood out in multiple deals due to the trades he was involved in was sharpshooter Buddy Hield, who was recently moved from the Atlanta Hawks to the Charlotte Hornets and then to the Chicago Bulls,” ClutchPoints Brett Siegel wrote (h/t Sporting News’ Jon Conahan). “Sources say the Lakers could’ve made a ‘2-for-1 move’ to trade for Hield, but the organization ultimately elected against doing so.
While there are targets that will be viewed as a huge miss, others like Hield may not belong to that category. The Lakers didn’t really put sharpshooters in front of their needs for this offseason but could have jumped on the opportunity if it was the right deal.
Lakers Praised for Not Pulling the Trigger on Trade for Buddy Hield
Not just Hield, the Lakers had reportedly also wanted to make a deal with Atlanta for forward Jonathan Kuminga. He was a strong target before he signed for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Kuminga situation was a bit more complicated. For Hield, the front office may not have seen the feasibility in making the trade for him.
“Although the exact reasoning for this was not provided, one can assume the main reason for this is due to Los Angeles likely needing to include a second-round pick to move two contracts,” Siegel added.
Hield, the Sacramento Kings‘ all-time leader in 3-pointers, is now with the Bulls on a four-year deal worth roughly $37.7 million. His salary could have fit into the Lakers’ cap if they had pieces. The plan was reportedly two pieces but then again, they also had eyes on Kuminga for a possible sign-and-trade.
Hield wasn’t necessarily an expensive option but the cost of adding extra draft capital albeit a second-round pick felt too much from the Lakers’ perspective. They don’t have much draft flexibility as it is to even sacrifice one for a player that won’t be a starter.
Did Hield Stand Any Chance in L.A.?
Hield has been a utility piece in the past three seasons or so. He has played for four different franchises in that time frame which sums it up. For the Lakers, they have already brought in players who can play utility roles.
Luckily the Lakers weren’t desperate enough at the time to push forward and trade for Hield.
“Hield is a tough player to evaluate at this stage of his career, as he’s shown some promise at times over the past few seasons, but really isn’t more than a ninth or 10th man on a team,” Conahan wrote. “With the Golden State Warriors in 2025-26, where he spent most of the season, playing 44 games, he shot just 34.4% from 3-point range.”
At his peak, Hield was a top shooter and one that the Lakers could have benefited from to space the floor. However, that hasn’t been the case lately with less attempts. It may be down to being more a bench piece.
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