Lakers, Suns Working On Kyle Kuzma-Devin Booker Trade?
Are the Lakers and Suns working on a Kyle Kuzma-Devin Booker trade?
On Tuesday morning ESPN First Take host Stephen A. Smith addressed the complicated situation unfolding in Los Angeles right now.
Essentially, the Lakers are 33-7 and sit atop the Western Conference.
Despite that, the team simply does not feel like it is built for a championship run against the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers.
Part of the reason for this is because outside of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers lack a legitimate third option.
Kuzma was once envisioned filling this role, but he has proven himself unable to do so.
Stephen A Smith thinks the Lakers should trade Kyle Kuzma for Devin Booker
(🎥 @FirstTake ) pic.twitter.com/eoKLO4G56p
— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) January 14, 2020
Kuzma is far better at being a No. 1 option on a less talented team, as he showed when James and Davis were out, than the No. 3 guy on a contender.
This week, Smith suggested a trade that he believes should take place between the Lakers and Suns: Booker for Kuzma.
“I think they need a marksman,” Smith said.
“If I could package Kuzma with a multitude of players and even a pick and I can get myself Devin Booker to join Anthony Davis and LeBron James, would I do that? Hell yes.”
There are two big problems with Smith’s suggestion.
The first is that there is no way Phoenix would trade away arguably the team’s biggest star for a role player.
The second is that the contracts would not work, even if the Suns wanted to do the deal.
While the Lakers obviously need to make some improvements before the Feb. 6 trade deadline, getting Booker for Kuzma is not something that is realistically feasible.
Related: Lakers Working On Big Trade With Timberwolves?
Michael Kyaw, initially a PR Manager, built up a valuable network of connections in the sports world that he then utilized to become an influential sports business reporter. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, Fansided, ESPN and the Wall Street Journal.
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Kuzma for Booker? Maybe in an alternate universe like NBA 2K20. Come on now.