Lakers Discussing Kyle Kuzma Trade With Multiple Teams
The Lakers are discussing a Kyle Kuzma trade with multiple teams.
Los Angeles has had a great year so far. With nearly half of the season in the books, this team has cemented itself as arguably the best in the Western Conference and one of the two best in the entire NBA.
Unfortunately, there are still some very notable flaws with the roster. Namely, that there is not much there beyond LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Lakers VP of basketball operations Rob Pelinka has made it no secret that he wants to upgrade the team before the trade deadline. Unfortunately, due to all the assets given up to acquire Davis, there is not much to work with to finagle a trade.
The one really good piece of trade bait still at Pelinka’s disposal is Kuzma.
As such, it should come as no surprise that Pelinka has been shopping him around in recent weeks.
According to LA Times NBA insider Tania Ganguli, Pelinka “has had conversations with multiple teams in which Kuzma was discussed.”
It is public knowledge at this point that the Lakers and Kings discussed Kuzma while throwing around a Bogdan Bogdnovic package.
Apparently that was not an isolated incident, though.
“The reporting league-wide has centered around Kyle Kuzma, who is one of the Lakers’ most tradeable talents,” Ganguli wrote.
“Pelinka has had conversations with more than one team in which Kuzma was discussed, according to people familiar with those talks. He’s a good young player who has shown a great deal of promise and who has a team-friendly contract.”
Not helping the case for retaining Kuzma has been his inconsistent play this year.
After coming back from an injury sustained this past summer, many expected him to naturally step into his role beside James and Davis. The hope was that he could be a legitimate third option behind them.
That obviously has not materialized.
Kuzma is presently averaging 12 points on 42.5 percent from the field. He is also shooting 34.6 percent from three-point range and just 74.7 percent from the free throw line.
Perhaps most importantly, Kuzma does not really check any boxes when it comes to the Lakers’ needs. They have two glaring holes when it comes to point guard and three-point shooting, and he satisfies neither.
With the trade deadline just around the corner, expect for the talk surrounding Kuzma being shipped out to only grow louder.
Related: Knicks And Pistons Working On Andre Drummond Trade?
Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
