Los Angeles Lakers: 3 trade packages to land Buddy Hield

Mar 28, 2022; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Buddy Hield (24) celebrates a made basket in the first half against the Atlanta Hawks at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 28, 2022; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Buddy Hield (24) celebrates a made basket in the first half against the Atlanta Hawks at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

3. Building a package around Talen Horton-Tucker and Kendrick Nunn

There is the chance that Indiana, despite being a tanking team next season, doesn’t want to simply be part of a salary dump. Instead, Indiana could target the few assets that the Lakers have for a potential Hield trade.

This could fit the timeline of the team more as they would get another young player in Talen Horton-Tucker, an asset they can flip in the deadline in Kendrick Nunn and they would not have to also trade Myles Turner.

While Turner does not seem to have much trade value by himself, the Pacers could let him do his thing to flip him to a contender like the Nets could try to do. The only problem there is Indiana shouldn’t want to win games.

There is also no chance that the Lakers would trade an unprotected first in this Hield trade. If the team is going to trade that first, it is going to be to get off of Russell Westbrook’s contract. No other team is offering a first-round pick for Hield (most likely), so they might even be able to do this package with future seconds.

Of the three packages, this seems like the most unlikely as Indiana would probably just be better getting an unprotected first and committing to the tank. However, if the Lakers can work out a different Kyrie deal on top of this it would not be the worst thing in the world.