What it would take to acquire Buddy Hield
With a bevy of teams in today’s NBA leaning toward the outside shot as their main source of scoring, a player like Hield is very valuable. Taking that into consideration, the Lakers would likely have to part ways with either Kyle Kuzma and/or Talen Horton-Tucker. Los Angeles could also throw in someone like Alfonzo McKinnie and swap future draft picks to complete a deal.
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Just by taking a look at the roster for the Lakers, they don’t have much to offer to other teams for superstars and they don’t have much cap space to maneuver. Nevertheless, they have enough to make a reasonable offer to the Kings for Hield, which would give them a much-needed boost in the three-point department.
The idea of trading Kuzma shouldn’t be off of the table for Los Angeles, unless they believe he can truly become a star in the league. But up to this point in his career, Kuzma hasn’t shown anything to suggest that he’s going to reach the potential that some have placed on him. Plus, Kuzma’s extension that kicks in for the 2021-2022 season makes a deal for Hield more feasible in terms of financials.
On the other hand, Horton-Tucker is a name that other teams have been intrigued by due to his development, that has been echoed by LeBron and other members of the Lakers. Horton-Tucker is a lengthy forward that is improving as a ball-handler. It’s hard to find two-way wings in the NBA and Horton-Tucker could give Sacramento a valuable young player to develop in exchange for Hield.
