The Lakers want to improve their supporting solid round LeBron James and Anthony Davis. It appears to be like like they’re zeroing in on a possible goal on the day of the 2021 NBA Draft, 

That may be Buddy Hield. Rumors had beforehand linked the Lakers to the Kings sharpshooter, and now it appears to be like like Los Angeles might make a transfer for him.

The Lakers have “stepped up efforts” so as to add Hield to their roster forward of the 2021 NBA Draft, Kevin O’Connor of “The Ringer” reviews. They’re providing two gamers and the No. 22 choose for his companies.

A number of reviews have indicated that the Lakers are involved in a deal for Buddy, and with fewer than 24 hours till the 2021 draft, a number of league sources say Los Angeles has stepped up its efforts by including the No. 22 choose to a deal that’d embrace Montrezl Harrell and Kyle Kuzma or Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Hield to L.A. now has actual traction, which might give the Lakers what they want: taking pictures. Elite taking pictures.

DECOURCY: High 60 gamers on SN’s huge board for NBA Draft

Actually, the Lakers want taking pictures assist. Final season, the workforce shot simply 34.9 % from 3-point vary. That tied with the Timberwolves for twenty third within the league. Hield, in the meantime, made 39.1 % of his photographs final 12 months and is a profession 40.6 % shooter from past the arc.

Hield is not only a shooter, although. He additionally averaged a career-high 3.6 assists per sport final 12 months, so he might assist present the Lakers with a little bit of playmaking. It would not be as a lot as Rajon Rondo supplied them in the course of the title-winning 2019-20 marketing campaign. Nor would he be as dynamic of a distributor as Dennis Schroder, who averaged 5.8 assists per sport with Los Angeles final 12 months.

Nonetheless, it is one other method that Hield can contribute on offense. And maybe if he is dishing to upper-echelon gamers corresponding to James and Davis, he could possibly be poised to set one other career-high in that class.

The Lakers should pay a stable value to get Hield. In any case, he averaged 16.6 factors per sport for Sacramento final season. That was good for second-most on the workforce behind De’Aaron Fox. It stays to be seen whether or not the bundle the Lakers are providing will get a deal completed, however maybe if Sacramento is excessive on the 26-year-old Kyle Kuzma, it will be keen to dump the 28-year-old Hield.

We’ll discover out quickly sufficient. The 2021 NBA Draft will start at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday. Click on right here for extra details about easy methods to watch the occasion.