Report: Lakers-Kings Buddy Hield trade deemed most promising option so far
The Los Angeles Lakers’ pursuit of a third scoring option after LeBron James and Anthony Davis continues to heat up.
The list of names Los Angeles has been linked to is already extensive, and free agency hasn’t even started yet.
Players like Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook have all been rumored to become a Laker for next season at some point during this offseason.
Recently, Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield was the key piece in trade discussions between the Kings and Lakers.
Such a deal would likely require Kyle Kuzma and one of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope or Montrezl Harrell, if he opts in, to go to Sacramento in order for the salaries to align.
With all of the rumors reported thus far, Sam Amick of The Athletic reports this deal involving Hield to the Lakers has the most potential:
“Of all the scenarios for a supporting player believed to be in play, one source to the situation indicated the Hield deal — which would involve forward Kyle Kuzma and would also likely require Lakers forward Montrezl Harrell to opt in to the final year of his deal (worth $9.7 million) and be included — appears the most promising thus far.”
Acquiring Hield would immediately help the Lakers’ shooting struggles, primarily from 3-point range, though he isn’t the same caliber of a playmaker as Lowry, Paul and Westbrook are as point guards.
But Hield drilled 39 percent of his threes last season on over 10 attempts a game, which is a similar volume of attempts as Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
Elite shooting on high volume is rare to have on a roster. If it requires the Lakers to deal Kuzma and Harrell, two players who underperformed in the playoffs when it mattered most, it would be a critical move to surround James and Davis with a scorching shooter who isn’t afraid to let it fly.
It’s unclear if the Lakers would need to include their No. 22 overall pick in this year’s draft to attempt to close the deal with Sacramento, but this situation is definitely one to monitor.
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