Myles Turner and Buddy Hield have been Indiana Pacers' teammates since the 2022 NBA trade deadline, but neither player can seem to escape the shadow of the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers have been linked to either Turner or Hield in trade rumors for multiple years. The cycle continued shortly before the 2023 NBA Draft with the Lakers reportedly targeting Hield or Turner in a potential trade for their first-round pick.

The Lakers considered making a trade for Hield when he was still a member of the Sacramento Kings. The noise surrounding Turner to Los Angeles was so loud at one point that the Pacers' center pitched why the Lakers should acquire him. Will either player ever don the purple and gold?

Let's take a look at the complete timeline of the Lakers' trade pursuits of Myles Turner and Buddy Hield.

July 29, 2021

Nearly two years before the Lakers' most recent pursuit of Hield, it looked like Los Angeles was going to trade for the sharpshooter. The Lakers were moving toward completing a deal to send Kyle Kuzma and Montrezl Harrell to the Kings in exchange for Hield, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The deal was all but certain to happen. Until it wasn't.

Los Angeles pivoted within a few short hours, making a different trade that turned out to be one of the NBA's worst in recent years. The Lakers instead traded Kuzma and Harrell for Russell Westbrook. Los Angeles added Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and its 2021 first-round pick to the trade package. Westbrook would go on to play one and a half miserable seasons with the Lakers.

July 22, 2022

It didn't take long before the Lakers realized that the Westbrook experiment was a complete failure. LeBron James' idea for Westbrook to take pressure off of him as a secondary ballhandler backfired. Los Angeles failed to even make the 2022 NBA Play-In Tournament. Westbrook was back in trade rumors after just one season of playing alongside James and Anthony Davis. After failing to swap Westbrook for Kyrie Irving, the Lakers chose to re-visit their pursuit of Hield while also going after one of his teammates.

The Lakers and Pacers had discussions about swapping Westbrook for Hield and Turner, according to NBA insider Marc Stein. Los Angeles was asked to include draft compensation in the deal, a point of contention that would hold up talks for months. The Lakers were unwilling to part with their 2027 and 2029 first-round draft picks. There would be several updates regarding the Lakers' pursuit of Hield and Turner throughout the summer.

Sept. 21, 2022

The Lakers and Pacers re-engaged in trade talks before the start of training camp. The two sides couldn't come to an agreement and it became clear that Westbrook, Hield and Turner wouldn't be moved before the regular season began. Los Angeles wasn't prepared to trade a pair of unprotected first-round picks for two veterans who seemed unlikely to turn the Lakers into championship contenders.

In 26 games with the Pacers in the second half of the 2021-2022 season, Hield shot a career-low 36.2% from 3-point range. Turner was set to hit free agency in the 2023 offseason. Neither player had ever been an All-Star. Los Angeles believed it could pursue more avenues for a Westbrook mid-season. The point guard would become more of a valuable asset as an expiring contract for a seller at the trade deadline.

Oct. 31, 2022

On Halloween, it was Turner, not the Lakers or Pacers, who made the headlines. In an appearance on “The Woj Pod,” Turner was asked if Los Angeles should trade two first-round picks for himself and Hield.

“If I’m the Lakers, I take a very hard look at this with the position that you are in, and I know I can provide to a team my leadership, my shot blocking, my three-point ability and just my ability to make plays out there on the floor. I would take a very long look at it,” Turner said. “I think that another aspect that is playing with greatness and playing under LeBron, I feel like he demands a certain level of excellency, especially at this point of his career.”

Jan. 28, 2023

The Lakers' pursuit of Turner—and effectively Hield—was put on hold a few weeks before the 2023 NBA trade deadline. Turner signed a two-year contract extension with Indiana. The deal included a salary bump for the 2022-2023 campaign. It was a clear sign that the Pacers would, at the very least, finish the season with Turner on their roster.

Los Angeles finally unloaded Westbrook just before the trade deadline. In a three-team, eight-player deal, the Lakers received D'Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley. Los Angeles sent its 2027 first-round pick (top-four protected) to the Utah Jazz in the trade.

June 21, 2023

Following an unexpected trip to the Western Conference Finals, the Lakers are looking for more veteran help to round out their roster. Amid rumors that Los Angeles could try to package the No. 17 pick, Beasley and Mo Bamba for an impact player, Hield and Turner found themselves linked to the Lakers, once again.

Hield and Turner are viewed as trade candidates for Los Angeles, along with Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O'Neale of the Brooklyn Nets. Gary Trent Jr. of the Toronto Raptor is thought to be another possible target for the Lakers.