How This Trade Impacts Los Angeles Lakers
The No. 1 goal for the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason was to move on from Russell Westbrook. Rob Pelinka took a risk acquiring him from the Washington Wizards last offseason and it was a move that just didn’t work out.
Knowing the Lakers were desperate to move on from him, teams have set a very high asking price to take on Westbrook. The Indiana Pacers are holding out for two first-round picks, so the Lakers can get creative when fulfilling that asking price.
The 2027 first-round pick is unprotected, but the 2029 pick is top-eight protected. While not as valuable as an unprotected pick, the Lakers offset that by including the 21-year-old Talen Horton-Tucker. That could be enough to pique the Pacers’ interest.
Coming back to Los Angeles are two strong pieces in Myles Turner and Buddy Hield. Turner can step right into the void at the center position as a stretch-five is ideal. Not only can Turner step out on the perimeter offensively, but he is also an elite rim protector. Combined with Davis on the interior, opponents are going to struggle to score the basketball.
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Hield is one of the best high-volume 3-point shooters in the NBA. He is someone that the Lakers have attempted to acquire in the past and despite never completing a deal, their interest in him didn’t wane. Hield would have a ton of wide-open 3-point attempts playing off of James and Davis.
