NBA Rumors: LA Lakers Could Acquire Buddy Hield Without Giving Up Kyle Kuzma, Per ‘LA Sports Hub’
Despite being considered as one of the top favorites to win the NBA championship title in the 2019-20 NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers are still expected to find ways to further improve their roster this summer. Like most NBA teams, the Lakers aren’t perfect and still have some issues on their team, including their need for another shot creator and playmaker. In the past months, the Lakers have already been linked to several NBA players who are expected to be available on the trade market in the 2020 NBA offseason, including Buddy Hield of the Sacramento Kings.
When it comes to potential deals that would enable the Lakers to make roster upgrades, most people see the Purple and Gold using Kyle Kuzma as the main trade chip. However, according to Zane Harris of Fansided’s LA Sports Hub, the Lakers could acquire Hield from the Kings even if they don’t include Kuzma in the trade package.
“Although Buddy Hield is one of the best shooters in an NBA that is filled with shooters, his trade value may be much lower than you would expect. As mentioned earlier, Hield is currently very unhappy in his current position and on the team that rosters him. As was the case when the Lakers traded for Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans, when a superstar, once in a generation player does not want to play for a certain organization it makes it possible to trade for a player who would under any other circumstances be untouchable and when talking about a quality starter like Hield it makes them extremely easy to trade for.”
In his article, Harris suggested two hypothetical trade deals that would allow the Lakers to get Hield while still keeping Kuzma on their roster. Between the two blockbuster trades, Harris believes that the most ideal for the Lakers is the deal that would send Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, JaVale McGee, Talen Horton-Tucker, and a 2020 first-round pick to the Kings in exchange for Hield and Yogi Ferrell.
Though they both played a major role behind the team’s success this season, the departures of Caldwell-Pope and McGee won’t deeply hurt the Lakers since they still have Danny Green and Avery Bradley to cover the wing and Dwight Howard to fill the center position. To prevent their frontcourt depth from suffering, the Lakers could also try to sign DeMarcus Cousins again to a veteran minimum deal in the 2020 NBA free agency.
If the Kings would really accept that type of offer, the potential deal would undeniably be very beneficial for Hield and the Lakers. The successful acquisition of Hield would make the Lakers a more dangerous team in the Western Conference next season as it would immediately address their need of a shot creator and playmaker. Meanwhile, being traded to the Lakers would enable Hield to become a starter once again, while having the opportunity to win his first NBA championship title. Though he would be needing to make a huge adjustment with his game to become an efficient third fiddle in Los Angeles, Hield would learn a lot from playing alongside the likes of LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
