The Los Angeles Lakers finally made what seems like a precursor to a larger move, trading away Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson to the Utah Jazz for Patrick Beverley.
Once the Brooklyn Nets announced they would move forward with Kevin Durant, the Lakers acted quickly by pivoting to Beverley, who gave them a defensive upgrade and a competitive fire previously missing on the roster. However, with Beverley now in Los Angeles, it feels like Russell Westbrook is undoubtedly on his way out.
If Westbrook is more likely to be moved, it might be in their best interest to re-engage with the Indiana Pacers on a deal for Buddy Hield and Myles Turner. Several people around the NBA believe those two would bring L.A. closer to a title, and former Laker Rick Fox advocated for the team to acquire them via his Twitter account:
How Do The Lakers Get Another Ring ? @buddyhield Myles Turner & Patrick Beverly
Let’s Go ? @Lakers— Rick Fox (@RickFox) August 25, 2022
Fox knows a thing or two about winning titles as a vital member of the Lakers’ three-peat dynasty, and Hield and Turner would give the team two useful rotation pieces that can space the floor for LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Hield would instantly become the best shooter the franchise has had since James signed, while Turner would allow Davis to play his preferred power forward position without losing any rim protection.
It was previously reported that L.A. was unwilling to part with a second first-round pick in a potential deal with Indiana, but now that Kyrie Irving is no longer in the picture, they should move off that stance to get a trade done. Beverley was a great start to a plan B, but pairing him with Hield and Turner would be quite the coup for the Purple and Gold.
LeBron James can’t wait for Russell Westbrook to go off
Even though Westbrook is likely to get traded, LeBron James has recently been supportive of his teammate. When discussing Westbrook, James responded by saying he’s excited to see him go off this season though they may end up happening on a different team.
