In the 2021-22 NBA season, as many of us know, the Lakers were expected to compete for a championship but failed to make the play-in tournament, finishing with a 33-49 record. Many will say that the team dealt with injuries and lacked an excellent roster throughout the season, which is true. However, a lot of people will blame the season on the poor play of Russell Westbrook and his egotistical mindset. Because of this, the Los Angeles Lakers have been in trade talks for All-Star and former NBA champion guard Kyrie Irving and the sharpshooting Buddy Hield who shot 36 percent from three last season and 43 percent from three in three straight seasons from 2017 to 2019. 

Let’s look at who the Lakers should trade for this offseason and which player could potentially be a better piece for the Lakers to help them win a championship next year.

Kyrie Irving

On the court, Irving is still sensational, as in the 29 games he suited up for this season, he averaged 27.4 points per game on 47 percent shooting from the field and 42 percent from three, and 91.5 percent from the free throw line. In the season before, he had arguably the best season of his career, playing 54 out of 72 games with averages of 27 points on 50-40-90 splits which is 50-plus percent from the field, 40-plus percent from three, and 90-plus percent from the free throw line. In short, Irving is still one of the most talented offensive players in the game and would add more star power to a Lakers team that expected that play out of Westbrook last season. Irving also has great chemistry with LeBron James on the court, so this seems like a no-brainer for the Lakers to pull off. 

The problem is that even with Irving’s sensational play on the court, he is still one of if not the most polarizing players in the NBA due to his off-the-court drama. In addition, as mentioned before, Irving’s durability is called into question, whether it is because of injuries in the regular or postseason, but his decision to sit out games for not getting the vaccine or his political theories and protests. Irving has also shown that he could be a distraction to any locker room he goes in, as he and James, despite their success, never really saw eye to eye in Cleveland, and Irving has shown not to be a great leader or teammate. 

However, if James and Irving can make it work, and Irving buys into the fact that he is not a leader and is the best fit as a second or third option, the Lakers trading for Irving is the best move possible.

Buddy Hield

The alternative for the Lakers is to trade for a player they had the chance to get the last offseason instead of Westbrook, and that player is Hield, a career 40-percent three-point shooter. Hield would be a huge addition for a Lakers team that desperately needs three-point shooting as they were one of the worst three-point and free throw shooting teams in the league last season. The Lakers ranked the 21st out of 30 teams in three-point percentage and 29th in free throw percentage. Adding Hield will help improve both of those numbers as Hield is not only a great three-point shooter but also a career 87 percent free throw shooter and shot an incredible 89 percent from the charity stripe last season. 

Furthermore, Hield does not need the ball in his hands to be effective as he is great at running off screens and being a great spot-up shooter. He would also be a solid perimeter defender and better than Irving in that department for the Lakers, as Irving is not known for being a great defender in his career. The only problem is that the Lakers are unwilling to add two first-round picks in a deal to get Hield and Myles Turner for Westbrook. If the Lakers are willing to make this deal, they will arguably add a better fit to the team than Irving, even if this means passing on a less talented player.

The decision will come down to whether the Lakers prioritize star power or a better fit for the team. Either of these players will be an upgrade over Westbrook because they will provide what the Lakers need to their roster that Westbrook could not provide for them last season.