Buddy Hield could act as catalyst for Damian Lillard 4-team trade scenario: Report

NBA Insider Gerald Bourguet recently discussed a trade that could send Buddy Hield out of the Indiana Pacers and Damian Lillard out of the Portland Trail Blazers.

This week, the Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, and the Blazers have been involved in trade talks. The Heat have been trying to pursue Lillard since the offseason started and now the Suns have started to receive calls regarding the availability of Deandre Ayton.

A three-team trade could speed up proceedings. But the situation has changed now that Hield and the Pacers have entered the conversation. Bourguet broke out the news as the story continued to develop.

According to the reports, The Pacers aim to trade Hield following failed contract extension talks, with Portland eyeing his 3-point shooting skills to aid a potential Damian Lillard trade. However, any deal for Hield, McConnell, or Theis must offer fair compensation to Indiana. A package featuring Kyle Lowry's expiring contract, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and a draft pick may not be as appealing as other offers for Hield.

This week, it's been reported that the Pacers front office and Hield weren't able to negotiate a contract extension. Back in 2019, the Sacramento Kings signed the Bahamian shooter to a four-year, $94 million contract extension. This contract was carried over up until now, the final year of his deal.

Hield's last-minute involvement could be the catalyst in the Heat's pursuit of Lillard.

You might also be interested in reading this: Buddy Hield’s top 5 landing spots as Pacers’ extension talks reportedly stall

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Why it's hard for the LA Lakers to trade for Buddy Hield

Buddy Hield has been rumored to be a target of the LA Lakers since last year's offseason. However, the downside of this is that the team won't have any available players that they could put in the deal. The only players they can include are Jarred Vanderbilt and Taurean Prince.

The Lakers won't be able to include D'Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, and Austin Reaves in the mix. The reason for this is that those three players were recently re-signed to a new deal.

Their only chance to acquire Hield is if they trade Vanderbilt and Prince. But that alone wouldn't be possible as it would put the team over the tax line. Adding picks could do the trick, but the Lakers could show a bit of hesitation.