Stein: Kings want Kuzma

[CelticsElite]

The Sacramento Kings have interest in trading for Kyle Kuzma of the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Kings would likely need to include pending free agent Bogdan Bogdanovic as part of a deal for Kuzma.

Luke Walton coached Kuzma for two seasons with the Lakers.

While the Lakers remain high on Kuzma by all accounts, his fit with LeBron James and Anthony Davis has been widely questioned.

https://twitter.com/TheSteinLine/status/1214263943537025025

[RockinRyA]

Smart and Brown just ignored an open Hayward geez

[Rondo9]

Smart and Brown just ignored an open Hayward geez

So trade them for Kuzma?

[Roy H.]

I’d rather have Bogdan.

[RPGenerate]

Kuzma would actually be a good fit on that Kings team. I say go for it if the price isn't too high.

[Jvalin]

I'm super high on Bogdan Bogdanovic. He can do it all: score/shoot, pass, defend, you name it. I believe he's a very underrated player. Imo, Bogdanovic for Kuzma would make the Lakers a better team this season.

Fortunately, Vlade loves Bogdanovic. It seems that the Kings have no interest in such a deal.

Re: @TheSteinLine’s intel about possible Kuzma-for-Bogdanovic swap, I’m told Kings are unlikely to be interested straight up. They value his versatility, are comfortable w/ his restricted free agency & are 0-6 w/out him.
To clarify: Conceptually, Kuz and filler salary is of no interest to the Kings. Salaries obviously don’t match up ($8.5 mill for Bogey to $1.9 mil for Kuz)

https://twitter.com/sam_amick/status/1214288677754433536

[Who]

They should be able to get a good player in for Kuzma. Combine him with some vet salaries and they should be able to get a good 3rd option level player that some team wants to part with.

Good to hear it won't be Bogdanovic though. That guy would be terrific next to LeBron and AD - offensively perfect in terms of fit given his shooting & secondary ball-handling and playmaking. Give the Lakers a shot against the Clippers in the playoffs.

[Celtics4ever]

I think Kuzma would be a nice fit here but we have no one that is feasible to get him.  No way would I give up Tatum or Brown for him and the other guys in his contract range LA would not be interested.   He put up very good numbers prior to Davis and LeBron getting to LA.

[Moranis]

Smart, Semi, Green, BOS 1st, MIL 1st

for

Kuzma, Bradley, Cousins

I think I'd do that even believing Cousins won't come back this year.  I just think Kuzma would be a real nice fit on the team and think Bradley could give you much of what Smart does (though not as well).

Post Trade
PG - Walker, Wanamaker, Edwards
Wings - Brown, Hayward, Bradley, Langford
Swings - Tatum, Kuzma, G. Williams
Bigs - Theis, Kanter, R. Williams, Poirier, Cousins?

Lakers get Smart who can be their do everything type player and is basically an improved version of Bradley and Rondo at this point.  Add Semi as a defender down low.  They also get a couple of late 1st's to replenish their young players or that they can use in trades.

Not sure either team does it, but I think it is a reasonable enough trade value wise for both teams.

[Fafnir]

The Kings immediately leaked a counter-report saying they aren't trading Bogdan for Kuzma and filler. This is LA trying to drum up a market for Kuzma.

[celticsclay]

Smart, Semi, Green, BOS 1st, MIL 1st

for

Kuzma, Bradley, Cousins

I think I'd do that even believing Cousins won't come back this year.  I just think Kuzma would be a real nice fit on the team and think Bradley could give you much of what Smart does (though not as well).

Post Trade
PG - Walker, Wanamaker, Edwards
Wings - Brown, Hayward, Bradley, Langford
Swings - Tatum, Kuzma, G. Williams
Bigs - Theis, Kanter, R. Williams, Poirier, Cousins?

Lakers get Smart who can be their do everything type player and is basically an improved version of Bradley and Rondo at this point.  Add Semi as a defender down low.  They also get a couple of late 1st's to replenish their young players or that they can use in trades.

Not sure either team does it, but I think it is a reasonable enough trade value wise for both teams.

Bradley is extremely injury prone. He has played in 23 of their 37 games this year, 63 last year, 46 the year before that and 55 the year before that. Smart gets a bit banged up himself but his low the last 3 years was 54 and every other year he has been above 60 with a 79 and 80 game season in the last 3 years. Given that Bradley is in his 9th or 10th season I only expect this to get worse. I don't have a strong opinion on Kuzma, but where would he get the minutes with Hayward, Tatum, and Brown? I would like to somehow take a flier on Cousins because i have read there is a belief he may come back this season. With Howard and Mghee on the roster we could certainly use one of those three guys for a playoff run (least into javale), but I doubt Lakers would do anything to help us out.

[Moranis]

Smart, Semi, Green, BOS 1st, MIL 1st

for

Kuzma, Bradley, Cousins

I think I'd do that even believing Cousins won't come back this year.  I just think Kuzma would be a real nice fit on the team and think Bradley could give you much of what Smart does (though not as well).

Post Trade
PG - Walker, Wanamaker, Edwards
Wings - Brown, Hayward, Bradley, Langford
Swings - Tatum, Kuzma, G. Williams
Bigs - Theis, Kanter, R. Williams, Poirier, Cousins?

Lakers get Smart who can be their do everything type player and is basically an improved version of Bradley and Rondo at this point.  Add Semi as a defender down low.  They also get a couple of late 1st's to replenish their young players or that they can use in trades.

Not sure either team does it, but I think it is a reasonable enough trade value wise for both teams.

Bradley is extremely injury prone. He has played in 23 of their 37 games this year, 63 last year, 46 the year before that and 55 the year before that. Smart gets a bit banged up himself but his low the last 3 years was 54 and every other year he has been above 60 with a 79 and 80 game season in the last 3 years. Given that Bradley is in his 9th or 10th season I only expect this to get worse. I don't have a strong opinion on Kuzma, but where would he get the minutes with Hayward, Tatum, and Brown? I would like to somehow take a flier on Cousins because i have read there is a belief he may come back this season. With Howard and Mghee on the roster we could certainly use one of those three guys for a playoff run (least into javale), but I doubt Lakers would do anything to help us out.

Kuzma is a straight up 4.  I imagine he would get in the 24-30 minute range playing PF with Tatum picking up the rest if that trade went through (Tatum would get the rest of his minutes at SF when Hayward was on the bench).  Brown would get only SG minutes with Bradley/Langford taking the rest.  I think it would work just fine, but I like Kuzma.  Not a world beater, but I think he would fit in well and is a real PF, something the team could use and gets Tatum more time at his more natural SF position.  I don't think Cousins is going to play this year.  If he does it is a bonus.  If he doesn't, he expires, but maybe Boston and him like his rehab time here and he comes back on another 1 year prove it type contract.

The trade I proposed essentially comes down to what you think of the Kuzma/Smart portion as that really is the main component being traded by each team.  I'd prefer Kuzma (such that I'm fine giving up some late 1st's to get it done), especially with the team makeup, but that may just be a personal preference.

[slamtheking]

Smart, Semi, Green, BOS 1st, MIL 1st

for

Kuzma, Bradley, Cousins

I think I'd do that even believing Cousins won't come back this year.  I just think Kuzma would be a real nice fit on the team and think Bradley could give you much of what Smart does (though not as well).

Post Trade
PG - Walker, Wanamaker, Edwards
Wings - Brown, Hayward, Bradley, Langford
Swings - Tatum, Kuzma, G. Williams
Bigs - Theis, Kanter, R. Williams, Poirier, Cousins?

Lakers get Smart who can be their do everything type player and is basically an improved version of Bradley and Rondo at this point.  Add Semi as a defender down low.  They also get a couple of late 1st's to replenish their young players or that they can use in trades.

Not sure either team does it, but I think it is a reasonable enough trade value wise for both teams.

Bradley is extremely injury prone. He has played in 23 of their 37 games this year, 63 last year, 46 the year before that and 55 the year before that. Smart gets a bit banged up himself but his low the last 3 years was 54 and every other year he has been above 60 with a 79 and 80 game season in the last 3 years. Given that Bradley is in his 9th or 10th season I only expect this to get worse. I don't have a strong opinion on Kuzma, but where would he get the minutes with Hayward, Tatum, and Brown? I would like to somehow take a flier on Cousins because i have read there is a belief he may come back this season. With Howard and Mghee on the roster we could certainly use one of those three guys for a playoff run (least into javale), but I doubt Lakers would do anything to help us out.

Kuzma is a straight up 4.  I imagine he would get in the 24-30 minute range playing PF with Tatum picking up the rest if that trade went through (Tatum would get the rest of his minutes at SF when Hayward was on the bench).  Brown would get only SG minutes with Bradley/Langford taking the rest.  I think it would work just fine, but I like Kuzma.  Not a world beater, but I think he would fit in well and is a real PF, something the team could use and gets Tatum more time at his more natural SF position.  I don't think Cousins is going to play this year.  If he does it is a bonus.  If he doesn't, he expires, but maybe Boston and him like his rehab time here and he comes back on another 1 year prove it type contract.

The trade I proposed essentially comes down to what you think of the Kuzma/Smart portion as that really is the main component being traded by each team.  I'd prefer Kuzma (such that I'm fine giving up some late 1st's to get it done), especially with the team makeup, but that may just be a personal preference.

not a fan of this nor Kuzma.
12 pts/3.6 rebs/.8 asst/.4 stl/.4 blk with a 10.98 PER on 42.5% shooting - 34.6% from 3.  74.6 FT
--> that's as the clear #3 scorer on that team behind Bron and AD. 

Smart
11.4 pts/3.2 rebs/4.7 asst/1.4 stl/.5 bla with a 12.83 PER on 36.1% shooting - 31.3% from 3.  79.3 FT

I'll take Smart who's second on the team with assists and rebounds almost as much as Kuzma from the guard position.  Also, there's no way Kuzma would push Tatum to SF if you compare how each of them are playing.  You play Tatum at PF where he is and you enjoy the superior production to what Kuzma provides.  Keep in mind Kuzma can't even earn enough minutes per game to crack LA's top 5.

[jambr380]

Before this year, there were people seriously considering whether or not Kuzma was better than Tatum. Of course Cs fans didn't believe this, but Kuzma was averaging 19/5.5 last year on decent efficiency. His dip this year has a lot to do with AD and a healthy Lebron clogging up his position. I am not sure what the Lakers would want for him, but I would be happy to take him on - the kid can certainly play.

I'm glad to see SAC is not interested in trading Bogdan for him. That initial report scared me a bit.

[footey]

Smart, Semi, Green, BOS 1st, MIL 1st

for

Kuzma, Bradley, Cousins

I think I'd do that even believing Cousins won't come back this year.  I just think Kuzma would be a real nice fit on the team and think Bradley could give you much of what Smart does (though not as well).

Post Trade
PG - Walker, Wanamaker, Edwards
Wings - Brown, Hayward, Bradley, Langford
Swings - Tatum, Kuzma, G. Williams
Bigs - Theis, Kanter, R. Williams, Poirier, Cousins?

Lakers get Smart who can be their do everything type player and is basically an improved version of Bradley and Rondo at this point.  Add Semi as a defender down low.  They also get a couple of late 1st's to replenish their young players or that they can use in trades.

Not sure either team does it, but I think it is a reasonable enough trade value wise for both teams.

Lakers are looking for shooter(s) so doubt this would interest them.