4 trades the Lakers can make after Rob Pelinka reveals all bets are off

Lakers give up their first-rounders, Westbrook to complete a perfect lineup.

If you haven’t seen some variation of this trade, you probably haven’t been paying very close attention to the NBA this summer. While the Indiana Pacers are publically aiming for a shot at the Play-In Tournament, it’s in the team’s best interest to lose games for greater draft odds. The minutes occupied by Buddy Hield and Myles Turner could be quite valuable for any number of their intriguing young players, so a return of two unprotected firsts might be enough to move on.

Your guess is as good as mine when it comes to whether Westbrook would ever suit up for the Pacers. On one hand, it might be a great chance for him to rehabilitate his public image while drawing more attention to the Pacers than they’ve had since Paul George played for the team. On the other hand, Indiana might opt to bench him or agree to a buy-out to prioritize its youth.

Either way, the Lakers would end up with an exceptional starting five including one of the players they were expected to acquire in Westbrook’s place, the aforementioned Hield. One of the best 3-point shooters in the game, Hield would instantly get better 3-point looks playing off two true stars in LeBron and Anthony Davis.

Turner is also a perfect complement to Davis, who notoriously prefers the power forward position to playing center. They’d be in contention for the best defensive frontcourt in basketball with enough floor-spacing and versatility to keep up with modern trends. Ultimately, this is the deal I’d be most interested in making if I were Rob Pelinka. It’s just a matter of convincing the Pacers.