3 players the Los Angeles Lakers must target in a Russell Westbrook trade

3 players the Los Angeles Lakers must target in a Russell Westbrook trade: Buddy Hield

Hindsight is always 20/20, but the Lakers should have just traded for Buddy Hield when they had the chance this past offseason. Of course, the Lakers had a trade in place to land Hield before they pivoted to Westbrook, as highlighted in this piece by The Athletic’s Bill Oram, Shams Charania, and Sam Amick (subscription required).

Well, in addition to Brogdon, Charania noted in his earlier report that the Pacers could be open to dealing Hield this offseason, which may allow the Lakers to right their wrongs by making a hard run at him.

Hield’s fit with the Lakers would be seamless, given the reputable outside shooting that he brings to the table, as the marksman is a career 39.8 percent three-point shooter on 7.6 attempts per game.

Sweet shooting like that would be perfect alongside James and Davis, particularly due to the lethal catch-and-shoot prowess Hield possesses. Hield buried the third most catch-and-shoot threes in the league this season with 178, and adding a sharpshooter like that could work wonders for LA’s offense. Though he would not do much to help address the team’s issues defensively, Hield would be a significant spark on the offensive end nightly.

If there is any way the Lakers could acquire both Brogdon and Hield in a trade for Westbrook, they must make a strong push. Adding even one of the two could improve the Lakers’ roster before the next season begins, but swinging a trade for both players could help them leap right back into the title-contending conversation on impact.

Stay tuned to see if the Los Angeles Lakers can indeed acquire any of these three in a trade for Russell Westbrook this NBA offseason.