Three Team Trade Adds Myles Turner, Buddy Hield, & Terry Rozier to Lakers

Per Shams Charania, the Los Angeles Lakers have targeted four players for whom they are interested in trading: the Indiana Pacers’ Myles Turner and Buddy Hield, the Spurs’ Jason Richardson, and the Hornets’ Terry Rozier.

The winless Lakers are shooting a historically poor percentage from the field and from deep, losing their first three games despite LeBron James and Anthony Davis playing well and the defense ranking 5th in the league. They desperately need a legit starting center who can stretch the floor and protect the rim, a proven high percentage, high volume 3-point shooter defenses cannot ignore, and quality forwards to backup James and Davis.

Trading Westbrook and draft capital is the only way the Lakers can add front court size and 3-point shooting. Here’s a trade that brings the Lakers three of the four players for whom they’re most interested in trading. 

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Three-Team Trade Between Lakers, Pacers, and Hornets

The above three-team trade essentially gives the Los Angeles Lakers three brand new starters in Myles Turner, Terry Rozier, and Buddy Hield to go with their two current superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

This three-team trade is essentially two trades rolled into one. In the first trade, the Lakers trade Russell Westbrook and 2027 and 2029 unprotected first round picks to the Indiana Pacers for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield. In the second trade, the Lakers trade guards Patrick Beverley and Kendrick Nunn to the Charlotte Hornets for Terry Rozier. Overall, the Lakers traded three guards for a new starting point guard, shooting guard, and center.

The trade is essentially a win-win-win trade. The Lakers get three new starters for Westbrook who are young enough to help the team make sure their 2027 and 2029 unprotected picks don’t turn out to be worth much. 
The Pacers, who are tanking, get the Lakers two potential blockbuster post-LeBron unprotected picks as well as helping their tank. The Hornets, who should also tank, get out of Rozier’s 4-year deal with expiring contracts.

It’s not often that a three-team trade is a win for everybody but this could be the exception. It’s the deal the Lakers should be focused on making as it gives them the best chance to compete for a ring now and in the future.

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Lakers’ Depth Chart After Three-Team Trade

Terry Rozier, 28-year old point guard, 6′ 1″, 190 lbs
19.3/4.3/4.5 shooting 44.4%/37.4%/85.2% on 16.0/8.1/2.4 shots

Buddy Hield, 29-year old shooting guard, 6′ 4″, 220 lbs
15.6/4.4/2.8 shooting 40.6%/36.6%/87.4% on 13.6/8.8/1.6 shots

Myles Turner, 26 -year old center, 6′ 11″, 250 lbs
12.6/6.5/1.0 shooting 50.9%/33.3%/75.2% on 9.4/4.4/2.5 shots

The Lakers need a Westbrook trade that would elevate them to become legitimate championship contenders. Adding Myles Turner, Buddy Hield, and Terry Rozier would clearly elevate the Lakers roster to a top-6 team.

The addition of Myles Turner would give the Lakers the legitimate starting center who can both stretch the floor and protect the rim, both important skillsets that the Lakers need from the center position in Ham’s schemes. The addition of Buddy Hield and Terry Rozier would give the Lakers two tested and proven dead-eye high-volume, high-percentage 3-point shooters who made over three and took over eight threes per game last season.

Turner, Hield, and Rozier made 7.5 of the 21.0 threes taken per game last season for an acceptable 35.7%. Westbrook, Nunn (2 years ago), and Beverley made just 3.5 of the 14.1 threes taken per game for a low 24.8%. The Lakers essentially traded Russ and two picks for three starters who transform their starting lineup by allowing LeBron and AD to play down a position and surrounding them with three quality 3-point shooters.

By adding Myles Turner, Buddy Hield, and Terry Rozier, the Lakers should add at least six more wins, raising their projected win total from the current forty-four wins to the over fifty wins needed to be a top-6 team.