Last week brought the news that the Lakers had been kicking the tires again on a potential trade with Indiana that would bring guard Buddy Hield and perhaps center Myles Turner to Los Angeles in exchange for (broadly) Russell Westbrook and draft picks. Or apparently, draft PICK, which explains why the deal is reportedly dead for now. The Pacers want the Lakers to include both of their tradable first round picks, and Lakers are only willing - for now - to part with one. Is that a mistake for the Lakers, who undeniably need to improve their talent base and upgrade their shooting to have even a moderate shot at contention this year?
Would making this deal improve them enough to make it worth it?
If they hold out, what exactly might those assets bring? Can they wait around for Brooklyn to sort out this Kevin Durant mess, and by extension, the Kyrie Irving question? Given the way the NBA trade market is currently working, is it reasonable to expect those two distant first rounders to yield something better? Particularly when they're also saddled with Russell Westbrook?
The Lakers need to ask themselves a lot of hard questions. And while a trade doesn't have to happen today... it does have to happen.
And oh, by the way, all of this takes place as the date the Lakers can offer LeBron James a contract extension (August 4th) gets closer. How does his decision play into all of this?
HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky
SEGMENT 1: The deal is dead... for now. Should the Lakers suck it up and throw in a second first-rounder to make this happen?
SEGMENT 2: Do Hield and Turner make the Lakers good enough? If they wait, would other potential deals make them better?
SEGMENT 3: How does LeBron factor into all of this?
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