The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly explored a 2-for-1 trade for Buddy Hield earlier this offseason. With 16 players still on guaranteed contracts, the Lakers may have to make a similar 2-for-1 trade at some point before the regular season or waive a player to get to the permissible 15-player roster limit.
Amid the reports, a Lakers trade idea doing the rounds would fetch Hield from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Jaden Hardy and Dalton Knecht.
Lakers Trade Idea Lands Buddy Hield
Lakers would receive: Buddy Hield
Bulls would receive: Jaden Hardy, Dalton Knecht
The clean 2-for-1 transaction allows the Lakers to trim their roster to 15 players and go full steam ahead into the regular season. The move also gives Bronny James, rumored to be on the chopping block, peace of mind and a guaranteed roster spot.
Why the Lakers Do It
As is well documented, Buddy Hield (2,201) has made the fourth-most threes in the NBA since entering the league in the 2016-17 season, trailing only Stephen Curry (3,057), James Harden (2,506) and Damian Lillard (2,205). And he made all those threes without ever playing with a generational playmaker like Luka Doncic.
Could you imagine all the wide open threes Hield will get playing with Doncic? The sharpshooter can possibly surpass his career-best 3P% season (.431 in 2017-18) and he can do so in just 15-to-20 quality minutes off the bench for JJ Redick.
The Lakers could also use another sharpshooter like Hield. The offseason additions of Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton and Sandro Mamukelashvili already helps the team that finished 15th in 3P% last season (.359), but Hield could help make them elite.
Lakers Pursued Buddy Hield Trade
According to ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel, the Lakers have reached out to several moves about a possible 2-for-1 trade to trim their roster size to 15. Notably, they explored the possibility of landing Hield, who was recently moved by the Atlanta Hawks to the Chicago Bulls as part of the Rob Dillingham trade.
“Sources say the Lakers could’ve made a “2-for-1 move” to trade for Hield, but the organization ultimately elected against doing so,” Siegel reported this week.
“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.”
The Lakers don’t have a shortage of second-round picks after receiving two second-round picks from the Washington Wizards in the Deandre Ayton-Jaden Hardy swap.
If the Lakers are unable to pull off a 2-for-1 trade by the end of training camp/preseason, they are reported expected to cut either Knecht or Hardy.
“If the Lakers don’t make a consolidation trade to move either Hardy or Knecht, the race for the final roster spot will simply come down to who performs better in training camp,” added Siegel.
“Knowing [Rob] Pelinka and how this front office operates, it’s more likely than not that they will find a trade to move at least one of these players.”
Lakers Proposed to Land Buddy Hield in 2-for-1 Trade to Finalize Roster