Hardwood Houdini Proposed Trade: Lakers <> Celtics

[todd_days_41]

In one of their 27 articles per day about the Cs, HH proposed this yesterday:

Celtics Get: Kyle Kuzma, 22nd Overall Pick
Lakers Get:Tristan Thompson, Romeo Langford, 2022 Second Round Pick, 2023 Second Round Pick

Their rationale was this:

This trade would help out both teams. The Lakers get a bit more flexibility, while the Boston Celtics get back in the first-round.

Kyle Kuzma gets made fun of a lot, but he actually had a great season last year. He averaged 12.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assists.

Better yet, Kuzma shot 44.3 percent from the field and 36.1 percent from deep. He would provide quality bench minutes at the wing/power forward positions.

Rumors have swirled that the Lakers could look to move Kuzma this offseason. This is a decent return for them.

The Lakers are in need of a quality center, and Tristan Thompson brings championship experience. He played with LeBron James in 2016, and there would be a sense of familiarity as well.

Frank Vogel couldn’t play Montrezl Harrell or Andre Drummond in the playoffs. Thompson gives them a veteran big man that can play when it matters most.

Romeo Langford gives them another young wing to pair alongside Talen Horton-Tucker. As for the seconds, it helps them stock up on more draft picks without paying a huge price.

At the 22nd pick, the Cs could target point guards or the best available players. Top options could include Ayo Dosunmu, Sharife Cooper, Nah’Shon Hyland, or if he falls in the draft, Corey Kispert.

Would folks do this deal, or is there's eternal hope about Langford's upside? At the very least it's a little creative, so figured I'd post.

[todd_days_41]

In the same article, they also suggest this as an option:

Celtics Get: 10th Overall Pick, Eric Bledsoe
Pelicans Get: Marcus Smart, Romeo Langford, Grant Williams, 2021 Second Round Pick

The Pelicans are supposedly shopping around the 10th overall pick in this year’s draft. With Zion Williamson rumored to be unhappy with the franchise, they want to do everything they can to win now.

Marcus Smart is not only an upgrade from Eric Bledsoe but provides point guard insurance. Lonzo Ball could be on the move this offseason, so the Pelicans need a backup plan.

He is an elite defender who can also serve as a playmaker at the one. Though he had a rough shooting year, he has shown the ability to be a solid 3-point shooter as well.

Romeo Langford gives the Pelicans an extra young piece to work with. As for Grant Williams, he allows them to run lineups with a stretch big next to Williamson.

The Boston Celtics downgrade in the sense of Smart to Eric Bledsoe but add a top-ten pick in the NBA Draft.

With this pick, they could get either their point guard of the future or an amazing complimentary piece.

Players such as Davion Mitchell and Josh Giddey should be available at pick ten. Giddey is a 6-8 point guard out of Australia, while Mitchell is a 6-0 guard who helped lead Baylor to a national championship last season.

Either one has the potential to develop into an elite NBA point guard. Both are projected to go anywhere from eighth to sixteenth in the NBA draft.

On top of this, the Celtics would clear up a ton of cap space after next season. Bledsoe would be off the books, and even if they did want to extend him, he would be much cheaper than Smart.

[RJ87]

I would keep Romeo in this deal. If salary is needed to make it work, they can have Carsen Edwards.

[todd_days_41]

I would keep Romeo in this deal. If salary is needed to make it work, they can have Carsen Edwards.

So effectively, Cs get Kuzma and a 1st for Thompson? Doubt that's realistic.

[Atzar]

I enjoy the concept that the Pelicans are apparently trying to solve their spacing issues by bringing in Marcus Smart and Romeo Langford.  That's a super idea.  Just extraordinarily well thought out. 

[RJ87]

I would keep Romeo in this deal. If salary is needed to make it work, they can have Carsen Edwards.

So effectively, Cs get Kuzma and a 1st for Thompson? Doubt that's realistic.

We could remove the picks altogether. I don't think this draft is worth getting back into at the 20+ range.

[cons]

kuzma seemed like a star early on right?

what happened to him?

id be excited to see if he could be better here

[slamtheking]

just say no to Kuzma.  underwhelming player.  don't understand the fascination with him.  also don't understand the fascination of HH using Romeo as a throw-in on any trade.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

I don’t want to give up Romeo. I like the idea of Kuzma, but his career path is quickly going down the Javale McGee path. Not sure I want that.

[bogg]

kuzma seemed like a star early on right?

what happened to him?

id be excited to see if he could be better here

Nothing happened to him, he just got a lot of touches on bad teams early in his career and put up counting stats in losses, but because it was the Lakers people made a big deal over him on the internet. Then when the AD trade went down Lakers fans made it seem like LA made him untouchable in a trade when the reality was that he had the least utility of all their young guys, including Josh Hart, for a New Orleans team already drafting Zion.

All that makes it seem like I don't like him, but he'd actually be fine as the other forward on the floor with the contract he's on. Boston needs a bigger forward to keep Tatum from the wear-and-tear of being a full-time 4 and Kuzma would be fine as a guy who gets beat up on underneath without handicapping you on offense. I don't think LA moves him for Thompson and a young guy though.

[CFAN38]

I would keep Romeo in this deal. If salary is needed to make it work, they can have Carsen Edwards.

So effectively, Cs get Kuzma and a 1st for Thompson? Doubt that's realistic.

We could remove the picks altogether. I don't think this draft is worth getting back into at the 20+ range.

I have never been a Kuzma fan but Thompson + Langford for Kuzma without out any picks involved is a great deal for the Cs let alone them receiving a 1st.

[Atzar]

kuzma seemed like a star early on right?

what happened to him?

id be excited to see if he could be better here

He never seemed like a star, really.  Early in his career, he had a lot of offensive responsibility because the Lakers didn't have anything better at the time - Lebron and AD hadn't signed there yet, and Ingram took a while to get going.  And he was okayish.  But that wasn't going to last when the Lakers got more talented players, and he hasn't adjusted well to being a smaller part of an offense. 

For that reason, I'm not a fan of acquiring him.  I understand that we're basically just swapping one below average player for another below average player at a position of greater need.  But I'm not interested in paying Kuzma $13M a year for three years of lackluster ball. 

[todd_days_41]

also don't understand the fascination of HH using Romeo as a throw-in on any trade.

Because they create 19 trade proposals for the Cs every day?

[footey]

I would keep Romeo in this deal. If salary is needed to make it work, they can have Carsen Edwards.

So effectively, Cs get Kuzma and a 1st for Thompson? Doubt that's realistic.

We could remove the picks altogether. I don't think this draft is worth getting back into at the 20+ range.

I have never been a Kuzma fan but Thompson + Langford for Kuzma without out any picks involved is a great deal for the Cs let alone them receiving a 1st.

Kuzma is not very good anymore.  Terrible defender.  He would be benched by Ime, and rightfully so.  This trade places low value on Langford.  Amazing how many fans are throwing him into trades left and right. As if they didn't watch the last couple of weeks of games, where Langford showed his potential and value. This guy is going to be an ELITE multi-positional defender in the NBA, better than any other player on our roster.

[Vermont Green]

The Kuzma-Thompson swap is interesting.  I don't think it works straight up financially, Celtics would have to include an additional $1M or so.  Certainly happy to include second round picks and/or Edwards or Grant Williams.  Not sure that adds much from the Laker's perspective.

I think you can separate out the Langford for Pick #22 from this.  I don't the Lakers would view Langford as someone that can help them now so probably are not all that interested in trading the pick for him.  The pick doesn't help them now either.  I like Langford more than that pick so I see no value in trying to include either in this deal.  Stick to trying to get Kuzma for Thompson.  I think there would be some mutual interest.