Proposed Blockbuster Trade Gives Lakers $94 Million Star

The Los Angeles Lakers have just received another blockbuster trade proposal. Zach Buckley from Bleacher Report advised the Lakers to trade Malik Beasley and a first-round pick to get Buddy Hield from the Indiana Pacers.

“Hield, who might be too old for the rebuilding Pacers to keep, just had an absurd shooting season, netting a career-high 288 triples at a 42.5 percent clip,” Buckley wrote in a May 18 article titled Lakers’ Hypothetical Blockbuster Trades to Shake Up NBA Offseason. “He’d have cheat-code potential playing alongside James and Davis, who could both feed him for spot-up shots and thrive in the open areas that his shooting would create.”

Hield inked a four-year deal worth $94 million in October 2019. He is set to earn $18.6 million in the final year of his contract with the franchise.

A blockbuster trade could fix shooting issues in Lakers game plan

Lakers head coach Darvin Ham could really use an efficient shooter like Hield. The 30-year-old could solve some of the shooting issues in LA as he is one of the better shooters in league history. In the 2022-23 season, Hield finished second in 3-point field goals and shot 42.5% from beyond the arc. He is a career 40.2% shooter from the 3-point line and ranks 39^th in league history.

Hield would be an excellent fit for the Lakers. Buckley believes the Lakers should do an effort to get Hield. He wrote about it in a May 4 story called ”Lakers’ Most Realistic Trade Targets in 2023 Offseason.”

Hield almost joined the Lakers last summer. Rob Pelinka contacted the Pacers in order to get the talented shooter. The Lakers offered Russell Westbrook and 2027 and 2029 first-round picks. Jovan Buha, Sam Amick, and Shams Charania from The Athletic confirmed the offer, but Pelinka cut negotiations because he didn’t want to give up two future draft picks. He needs these picks to reshape his own roster.

The Lakers traded Westbrook to the Utah Jazz and got Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, and D’Angelo Russell. It was a good trade for the Lakers and they are close to making the NBA Finals.

CBA rules allow the Lakers to trade Beasley, Vanderbilt, Max Christie, Mo Bamba, and a 2029 first-rounder to Indiana to get Hield and Myles Turner.