The Lakers are apparently âlistening to offersâ for Kyle Kuzma. The Kings are apparently willing to include Bogdan BogdanoviÄ to get Kuzma. I played around with ESPNâs NBA Trade Machine and got some successful trades. Kuzma (with Cook and Daniels to match salaries) for BogdanoviÄ works. I did one with the Grizzlies as a third team which also works, more on them later.
I was curious after reading the rumors today. I donât know a lot about BogdanoviÄ except that he smoked the Lakers last season. Why would either team do this trade?
Kings: BogdanoviÄ will be a restricted free agent this summer, and the Kings may not want to pay him. They should, but you know, the Kings gonna King. Anyway, Kuzma is three years younger and wonât be a restricted free agent until the summer of 2021. Heâs only owed $3.6 million next season. Either way, his cap hold and raise would be lower than BogdanoviÄ. Also, Luke Walton is high on Kuzma.
Lakers: Kuzma is good but maybe not for this particular team, trying to win a championship this year. BogdanoviÄ is better right now and would give the Lakers some much needed shooting. He apparently doesnât like coming off the bench for the Kings, but maybe he will on a title contender especially if given what was supposed to be Kuzmaâs role of being the primary option of the second unit.
I mentioned the Grizzlies earlier because the Lakers still want Andre Iguodala but have no way of acquiring him via trade since the Grizzlies weirdly still want a first-round pick. To get the Kuzma deal done, the Kings could throw in a (heavily protected) first round pick. The Lakers donât care about the pick so whether in the same Kuzma-BogdanoviÄ transaction or a separate one, the Kings protected pick would get sent to the Grizzlies which in a wink-wink deal would agree to buy out Iguodala now instead of after the trade deadline with the understanding that he will join the Lakers. The Grizzlies technically get their first round pick, and the Lakers get their man a little earlier. Itâd be funny if he ended up joining the Clippers anyway.
Ultimately, the Lakers could end up with Bogdan BogdanoviÄ and Andre Iguodala (and Darren Collison) within a month. I donât know if Iâd do the above mentioned deal(s). Iâm high on Kuzma, and this would effectively leave the Lakers with no future assets. Then again, hopefully improving the roster is the exact reason teams have assets. Itâd be the epitome of going all-in.