The Lakers remain in the market for perimeter shooting and continue to be linked to Pacers guard Buddy Hield and Rockets guard Eric Gordon, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line.
As Stein noted, both players are former clients of Lakers GM Rob Pelinka from his days as an NBA agent.
“After the Lakers’ good work in the bargain department to add the likes of Thomas Bryant, Lonnie Walker IV and Juan Toscano-Anderson, they are still ‘definitely’ looking for ways to add shooting, according to one source with knowledge of the team’s thinking,” Stein wrote.
The Lakers have already talked trade for both Hield and Gordon, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
They also discussed a Kyrie Irving trade with the Nets, but those talks have gained no traction, as we relayed here.
“They’ve looked at other deals,” Wojnarowski said, via RealGM. “They’ve continued to, I know, check on Eric Gordon in Houston. That’s certainly a player that interests them. Buddy Hield in Indiana. Different kinds of guards. Shooting guards, certainly, both of those players (are) former Rob Pelinka clients.”
Hield was actually linked to the Lakers before the start of last season, when he was still with the Kings. He was sent instead to 2Indiana in February, as part of a trade that also involved Domantas Sabonis and Tyrese Haliburton.
But instead of acquiring Hield from the Kings, the Lakers landed Russell Westbrook from the Wizards. It is not known if the Pacers have made Hield available after trading Malcolm Brogdon to the Celtics last week.
Meanwhile, the Rockets are said to have made Gordon widely available as they retool around a younger roster. Prior to free agency, they reportedly held talks with the 76ers and Trail Blazers about Gordon.
Hield, 29, is 6-foot-4 and fared well in Indiana, averaging 18.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 24 appearances. He also shot about 45 percent from the field.
Gordon, 33, is 6-3 and the Rockets are reportedly looking to move him for younger players who can be part of their rebuild. He averaged 13.4 points and shot 41.2 percent on 3-pointers in 57 games last season.
A point guard in size, Gordon is mostly known for his ability as a catch-and-shoot player — who could perhaps be a nice fit next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis in LA.
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