NBA Rumors: Lakers using Talen Horton-Tucker as trade chip for a sharpshooter

The Los Angeles Lakers have LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook. Other than that, all their roster should be expendable and available for trades, as they don't have enough firepower to keep up with the rest of the Western Conference.

Nonetheless, their Big 3 takes a massive chunk of their salary cap, meaning there's only so much they can do with the scraps they have left. Also, the front office has been reluctant to give picks away to improve the roster, only making things more complicated.

But still, Rob Pelinka could work his magic and land the sharpshooter they've craved for a couple of seasons now. According to Marc Stein, he's trying to get Buddy Hield in a package centered around Talen Horton-Tucker.

NBA Rumors: Lakers Trying To Swap Talen Horton-Tucker For Buddy Hield

"Indiana would be expected to buy Westbrook out if such a trade came to fruition, which is another likely obstacle because buying out such a big salary is hardly the norm for Pacers owner Herb Simo," Stein added. "It is likewise believed that the teams have discussed a deal focused on Hield, without Turner involved, that would still require the Lakers to furnish draft compensation to Indiana’s liking as part of a package centered around Talen Horton-Tucker."

Lakers Could've Had Buddy Hield And Myles Turner

Even so, one can only wonder how serious they really are about getting Hield. He was close to arriving in Los Angeles before they traded for Westbrook. Then, the Lakers turned down an offer that would've landed him and Myles Turner while offloading Westbrook's contract:

"The Lakers had engaged with the Indiana Pacers regarding a trade for young big man Myles Turner and scorer Buddy Hield," wrote DJ Siddiqi of Forbes. "However, those talks are now dead, due to general manager Rob Pelinka's refusal to include a second first-round pick (2027 and 2029)."

Maybe it's time someone tells Pelinka that he can't have it all. He'll have to compromise at some point, or he'll be stuck with this subpar roster and waste another year of LeBron James' career.