The Lakers have been talking to the Pacers about Buddy Hield — as has been previously reported — and Indiana center Myles Turner has also been part of the discussions.
However, those talks are dead for now with the Lakers offering Russell Westbrook and his $47 million salary plus one of their first-round picks — Indiana wants two, reports Bob Kravitz at The Athletic.
Nothing is ever “dead” in NBA trade talks. In this case, an additional first-round pick would revive them. Marc Stein confirmed this news.
My sense is that the sides are pretty far apart on what the Pacers hope to bring back for a Turner/Hield package and what the Lakers are prepared to surrender with Westbrook's expiring deal
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 22, 2022
More around-the-NBA notes via my latest This Week In Basketball: https://t.co/LK7PDVdn1P https://t.co/ndZABs3wfd
It’s obvious why the Lakers would be interested in this trade. Hield and Turner would provide depth and shooting — both can knock down 3s — plus Turner would provide needed elite rim protection and could play next to Anthony Davis.
Indiana is rebuilding, and the buzz during Summer League was they expected at least a first-round pick for each of Hield and Turner. These reports fit with that talk.
The Lakers have two first-round picks they can trade — 2027 and 2029 (although they could convey a year earlier, depending on what happens to picks already owed the Pelicans) — but have resisted including both in any trade.
Los Angeles is stuck in a bind. On the one hand, with a 37-year-old LeBron James, the Lakers are as win now a team as it gets. But, on the other hand, L.A. surrendered so many draft picks and so much young talent in trades to land Davis and Westbrook it is trying to hold on to its future assets to replenish its stock.
If the Lakers were to put both first-round picks in a trade package, it likely would be for the Nets’ Kyrie Irving than it would be for the Pacers’ two-man package. Irving with Davis and LeBron would at least give Los Angeles a chance at getting out of the West; Turner and Hield are good players but they don’t raise the Lakers’ ceiling the same way.
If the Pacers traded for Westbrook they would buy him out, robbing NBA fans everywhere of an almost inevitable clash between Westbrook and coach Rick Carlisle.
It’s difficult to envision how a straight-up, two-team trade between the Lakers and Pacers can come together unless the Lakers throw in both picks and maybe a young player Indiana likes. The Pacers have time on their side, they can hold on to Hield and Turner up to the trade deadline in February to get the deal they want. The Lakers are limited in how they can improve their offer.
This report shows that while the pace of conversations around the NBA has slowed down, teams are still talking. The Pacers and Lakers — as well as the Nets, Jazz and others — are still looking at moves, including some bold ones. It just may be a while before any are completed.
