Buddy Hield – Indiana Pacers

As mentioned before, the Lakers pursued Buddy Hield ahead of the 2021 NBA Draft this past offseason before they went out and acquired Russell Westbrook. 

Halfway through this season, the Lakers then reached back out to the Kings and tried to pursue a trade for Hield involving Talen Horton-Tucker, but the Kings were uninterested and instead went ahead and traded Buddy Hield as part of a trade package for All-Star Domantas Sabonis. 

The Lakers still seem to have a level of interest in Buddy Hield and given that they are not a strong three-point shooting team, he could give them a big lift offensively on the perimeter, especially if they keep Malik Monk around as well. 

It is unlikely that the Pacers will look to trade Buddy Hield in the offseason, especially after they refused to trade him ahead of the trade deadline this season, but there is a possibility that they could field offers for him. 

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Swapping Talen Horton-Tucker for Buddy Hield would definitely be an upgrade for the Lakers from a talent perspective, but the tax implications and financial implications of this trade would be rough for them. 

Not only would they have to trade Horton-Tucker, but the Lakers would likely have to trade Kendrick Nunn and a minimum contract in the offseason for Buddy Hield. 

No scenario really works in this deal for the Lakers, even if another team is involved, which is why they have likely missed out on their chance to acquire the sharpshooter. 

Unlikely that Indiana trades him in the offseason, plus this would mean more money for the Lakers to pay towards taxes