The Los Angeles Lakers made their first trade of the NBA offseason this week, acquiring Patrick Beverley from the Utah Jazz. That move is certainly a step in the right direction for Los Angeles, as Beverley is a great fit for their lineup.
While Beverley is a solid addition to their backcourt, the Lakers still have plenty of work to do. The biggest takeaway from the trade with the Jazz is that they didn’t have to include any draft capital. To land Beverley, the Lakers traded Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson.
That leaves Rob Pelinka with some more assets to build another trade package around. They will likely turn all of their attention now to trying to move Russell Westbrook.
Right now, it sounds as if the Lakers are most focused on making a deal with the Indiana Pacers centered around Westbrook. Los Angeles would love to add Myles Turner to their frontcourt to pair with Anthony Davis and have shown interest in Buddy Hield. This isn’t the first time they have shown interest in Hield, as they almost acquired him last offseason from the Sacramento Kings before pivoting to a deal with the Washington Wizards for Westbrook.
However, figuring out compensation with the Pacers has some challenges. Indiana isn’t going to just give Hield and Turner away, they want to be compensated fairly for both players. Right now, Westbrook and a single first-round pick are not enough to pique their interest.
Stuck between a rock and a hard place, the Lakers may have to drum up interest in other ways. This is where the San Antonio Spurs could come in. The Spurs, along with the Utah Jazz, are the only teams other than the Pacers that have been mentioned as possible suitors for Westbrook.
As Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report shared, the Lakers could try pitting the rebuilding teams against each other for their draft compensation.
Los Angeles isn’t believed to be interested in moving Westbrook with draft compensation for players that don’t move the needle toward a championship. But nearing a deal with the Spurs might prompt the Pacers to lessen their demands, especially if they want to get out of the 2023-24 obligation to Hield at $18.6-$23.3 million (depending on incentives).
According to Pincus, the Lakers don’t have much interest in acquiring Doug McDermott from the Spurs because he is signed through 2024. He is one of two veterans that San Antonio could offer, along with Josh Richardson, in exchange for Russell Westbrook. If the Spurs included a player such as Jakob Poeltl, the Lakers could change their tune.
Alas, for now, Pelinka is playing the waiting game. Parting ways with their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks are a last resort for the purple and gold. But, if they want to have any chance of competing during the upcoming season, they may have to change that stance.
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