Ranking the 4 most-likely options for the Lakers last roster spot
By Jason Reed
2. Myles Turner/Buddy Hield
The Indiana Pacers reportedly turned down a trade package that included Russell Westbrook and a future first-round pick for Buddy Hield and Myles Turner. While there is no doubt that there are trade talks between the two sides, the timing of this report was interesting.
The Lakers are still waiting for the Kyrie Irving trade situation to clear up and would likely want to trade for Kyrie before making this trade with Indiana. It seems doubtful that the Lakers would have submitted a concrete offer to Indiana. This feels like a leverage play by the Pacers to get more out of the Lakers and it might work.
Los Angeles might have to end up sending a second pick to make this happen or, hopefully, Indiana realizes it has no other suitors and takes the one pick from the Lakers. Regardless, the speculation around the Lakers trading for Buddy Hield and Myles Turner is real and absolutely could happen.
This two-for-one would bring the Lakers’ roster to 15 and both players would add something to the team that is lacking: three-point shooting. While both Hield and Turner have their flaws as players, the added floor spacing they would get from bringing them in would be huge for the Lakers.
It might not be the best-case starting five but there is a lot of potential in a Kendrick Nunn, Hield, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Turner starting five.