“It did feel close to playing for the Lakers, but it’s basketball, and you have to live with it, It’s the business side of it”: Buddy Hield breaks his silence on rumors of joining LeBron James and co last summer

Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield finally opens up about the deal with the LA Lakers not falling through.

Buddy Hield is one of the most promising talents in the NBA and one of the top 3-point shooters. The Kings guard is averaging 3.7 made shots from beyond the arc right behind the all-time leader in 3-point shooting Stephen Curry. Hield is a career 40.3% shooter from the 3-point line.

During the 2021-22 off-season, there were a lot of talks of the Lakers trying to acquire Hield. However, the deal didn’t fall through, and the purple and gold team landed up acquiring Russell Westbrook. Rob Pelinka and co shipped Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and future draft picks to the Washington Wizards.

At the time, many believed that Hield was a better choice for the Lakers, considering their lack of depth in the shooting department. Reportedly, it was LeBron James and Anthony Davis’ decision to have Brodie on board and not Hield.

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However, Westbrook’s current performances have had many point fingers at the Lakers front office for choosing Brodie over Hield. Recently, the Kings guard opened up about how the entire situation had panned out for him.

Buddy Hield gets candid about the trade with the Lakers not materializing.

The Lakers are currently struggling to be a +500 team, with the entire onus on a 37-year old James to carry the team. Once considered the favorite to win the chip, the Lakers may find it difficult to even clinch a playoff berth.

Amid all the rumors and speculations, Hield opened up about what he felt regarding the trade and if there was a possibility of him donning the purple and gold uniform.

It’s basketball. If it happened, it happened. If it didn’t, it didn’t,” Hield told NBA.com. “But it’s basketball, and you have to live with it. It’s the business side of it. At the end of the day, I still have a job. I can go to all 30 teams in the league. As long as I have a job, I’m happy.”

When asked if he did feel close to being a Laker, Hield replied the following.

“It did, talking to my agents and the media, of course. The media knows more than the agent and team, basically. But it didn’t happen. So, I’m still here. I’m still in the league and have an opportunity to play basketball. That’s the fun about it.”

In hindsight, it might have been a wiser decision for the Lakers front office to have Hield on board, considering the absence of shooting on their roster. The former 3-point contest winner is currently shooting almost 40% from beyond the arc and averaging a mere 1.8 TPG.

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There is no questioning Westbrook’s talent. The superstar is a triple-double machine. However, his marriage with the Lakers didn’t seem fit from day one.