With the NBA Draft and start of free agency just around the corner, the Los Angeles Lakers have been linked to almost every big-name guard that could be available as they look to add a legit third piece next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The Lakers do face some hurdles, however, as they do not have cap space or many trade assets at their disposal, making it difficult to pull off a deal for a true star player like Chris Paul.
One option that has been floated around for a while now though is Sacramento Kings sharpshooter Buddy Hield as he has been very vocal about his unhappiness with his role and is a former client of Rob Pelinka’s.
If the Kings do decide to trade Hield then the Lakers make perfect sense as they do have assets to pull of a deal for a player of his caliber and it’s no secret that L.A. needs shooting.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Lakers and Kings have discussed a deal surrounding Hield and Kyle Kuzma:
The Lakers and Sacramento Kings have discussed a deal centered on guard Buddy Hield, sources tell The Athletic. Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma would be involved in a potential package, per sources. The Lakers have received interest from several teams regarding Kuzma, sources said.
At 28 years of age, Hield is a career 40.6% 3-point shooter and is coming off a season in which he shot 39.1% from deep on 10.2 attempts per game. He still has three years left on his four-year, $94 million contract but because he isn’t a free agent that is being signed-and-traded, the Lakers would not be hard-capped for acquiring him.
Even though Kuzma is coming off an up-and-down season, it’s not surprising to hear the Kings and other teams have interest in him considering he has a very reasonable three-year, $39 million contract and has shown tremendous strides on the defensive end of the floor.
Kuzma recently expressed some displeasure with his inconsistent role in L.A., making him a prime candidate to get traded even though he is the longest-tenured player on the team.
If Montrezl Harrell opts into his player option, and he is reportedly leaning towards doing so, then it’s possible he would be part of the deal as well to match salaries. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is also a player the team is rumored to be shopping.
Other guards Lakers have been linked to
With all the recent reports that have come out, it is clear that the Lakers are looking to add some firepower at the guard position.
They have been linked to a number of players such as Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, Spencer Dinwiddie, Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul, although the last two seem very unlikely.
The one guard the Lakers haven’t really been linked to having interest in is their own Dennis Schroder as it seems like his tenure with the team may be coming to an end after one season.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
