Lakers: 3 Non-Myles Turner LA-Indiana Trade Ideas

Pitches for improving LA's depth.

As your Los Angeles Lakers prepare to square off against the Indiana Pacers tonight at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, we at All Lakers decided to cook up a few possible trades that could improve LA this year. We're avoiding the inclusion of recently-extended center Myles Turner. Though the 3-and-D big man remains trade eligible, it appears highly unlikely that Indy will want to flip him so soon after extending him.

Most of these deals, as you'd expect, involve moving off the expiring $13 million deal of 6'1" starting "shooting" guard Patrick Beverley.

Lakers Send Patrick Beverley, Two Second-Rounders To Pacers For Chris Duarte, T.J. McConnell 

Would Indiana settle for multiple second-rounders as a return for the 6'6" swingman Duarte, a lottery pick just two seasons ago out of the University of Oregon? Possibly not, but would LA want to sacrifice one of its precious future first-round picks in exchange for a bench small forward? I doubt it. What about a Hachimura-esque exchange of three second-rounders? McConnell is a solid defensive point guard, inked to a long-term deal (he's under contract through the 2024-25 season, though that last year is non-guaranteed), and could be a decent Beverley backup that Darvin Ham wouldn't need to feel obligated to start, given that he lacks Beverley's pedigree.

Duarte has taken a big step back this year in a reduced role for a good Pacers team. He is averaging five fewer points than he had been last year, 8.1 on .361/.300/.847 shooting splits, plus 2.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists in just 19.4 minutes per. If he can return to what he was last year, he's worth a look at the right price (two seconds tops).

Lakers Send Patrick Beverley, Two Second-Rounders To Pacers For Jalen Smith, T.J. McConnell 

Adding Smith would be more of a long-term play for LA, basically a Thomas Bryant contingency plan assuming the current Lakers center departs in free agency. Bryant's play when Davis was sidelined proved that he has plenty of offensive ability, and the 6'10" big man is at least in line for a raise. Smith is a solid rim-rolling four/five who can actually play decent defense.

Lakers Send Patrick Beverley, Lonnie Walker IV, One First-Rounder To Pacers For Buddy Hield

This is the current trade that feels the most likely, as LA is reportedly still in the running to land Hield. The 6'4" veteran shooting guard is one of the league's most elite three-point shooters, converting 3.8 of his 8.9 long range takes (42.5%) this season. He's earning $20.5 million on a descending deal, which will pay him "just" $18.6 million in 2023-24. Hield is a minus defender, and though Walker isn't exactly a major wing stopper, his effort on that end trounces Hield's. It would be an offensive upgrade and a slight defensive downgrade for Los Angeles.