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Lakers’ potential backup plans for Kyrie Irving revealed and they’re bad

Jerry Trotta|
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 30: Tyrese Haliburton #0 and Buddy Hield #24 of the Indiana Pacers celebrate in the third quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 30, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 30: Tyrese Haliburton #0 and Buddy Hield #24 of the Indiana Pacers celebrate in the third quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 30, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

In an ideal world, the Los Angeles Lakers would offload Russell Westbrook’s contract and reunite LeBron James with Kyrie Irving as the team looks to get back into title contention after it got eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in 2020-21 before it missed the playoffs altogether (albeit due to injuries) last season.

It might be farfetched to say the Lakers’ offseason is Kyrie Irving or bust given all the baggage he comes with, but the team’s alternative options leave a lot to be desired. With minimal cap flexibility, it’s no surprise the team is linked with 34-year-old guard Darren Collison. That isn’t going to cut it.

Collison obviously isn’t the only player the Lakers would target if a potential Irving trade falls by the wayside, however.

According to ESPN’s Dave McMeanin, LA will pivot to sharpshooters Buddy Hield and Eric Gordon if it can’t seal a deal for the Nets superstar.

https://twitter.com/RichStapless/status/1545143783045595136?t=RR8YuOmv06ulkUz4dWNTZw&s=19

The Lakers’ reported alternative plans for Kyrie Irving won’t inspire much confidence.

Hield has seemingly long been on the Lakers’ radar. Last offseason, they inquired about the then-Kings guard but chose to pursue a deal for Westbrook instead. We all know how that worked out, but Hield’s ability to space the floor would be a perfect complement to LeBron and Anthony Davis, who prefer to operate in the paint.

Hield, 29, ranks 50th all-time in made threes at 1,417 and is a career 39.8% shooter from beyond the arc. James has historically performed better when surrounded by elite shooters and Hield has knocked down 3.6 per game at a 39.4% clip since 2018.

The same can be said for Gordon, who connected on 41.2% of his threes last campaign. The Lakers checked in on Gordon’s availability before the 2021-22 trade deadline, but blinked at the idea of offloading draft capital to get rid of Westbrook’s contract.

Still reaping the benefits of trading James Harden to Brooklyn last year, the Rockets would likely be open to acquiring more draft ammunition — or a young asset like Talen Horton-Tucker — to trade a 33-year-old guard who offers very little outside of shooting at this stage of his career.

Though Hield and Gordon pale in comparison to Irving, they’d go a long way towards rectifying the Lakers’ shooting woes after they ranked 22nd in the league in three-point shooting at just 34.7% last season. If one of their arrivals mean Westbrook sticks around, though, fans might prefer it if LA went all-out in its pursuit of Irving.

While shooting was one of the Lakers’ most damning flaws last year, it was Westbrook’s wonky fit alongside James and Davis and the point guard’s inability to facilitate the offense that was their biggest stumbling blocks.

Hield and Gordon wouldn’t change that.

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