NBA Trade Rumors: According to a recent report, trade talks between the Los Angeles Lakers and Indiana Pacers involving Buddy Hield have stalled.
With no traction on the Kyrie Irving trade front, there were reports that the Los Angeles Lakers were pursuing other possibilities in an attempt to upgrade the roster before the start of the 2022-23 NBA season.
One of the possibilities that the Lakers were reportedly exploring was Buddy Hield from the Indiana Pacers. However, according to a recent report, talks between the Pacers and Lakers are no more.
Per source, the Lakers-Pacers trade involving Russell Westbrook, Myles Turner, Buddy Hield and other assets is currently dead. That's not to say the Lakers can't come back and add a second first-round pick to the current package of picks, but for now, things are at a standstill.
— Bob Kravitz (@bkravitz) July 22, 2022
Once again, we see the big variable that has stood between the Lakers reaching an agreement to upgrade the team – or even part ways with Russell Westbrook – is their unwillingness to part ways with a second first-round pick.
It seems as if Los Angeles is open to trading one first-round pick but walks away from discussions as soon as they realize they need to offer more to make a deal. It remains to be seen if that will change between now and the start of the season, but if it doesn’t I wouldn’t bet on the Lakers finding any team that is willing to take what they’re offering.
But this could all just be a bargaining ploy from Los Angeles. They could just be waiting for the right deal before pulling the trigger. Or, this could be more about LeBron James.
LeBron hasn’t offered a commitment to the Lakers and is entering the final year of his contract with the team. So, in a sense, it isn’t surprising that the Lakers would be hesitant to offer two huge future assets for a trade that may or may not result in a championship this season.
It’s certainly something to monitor over the next few weeks. Eventually, something has to give from the Lakers if they want to improve the roster before the season.