Tag: Kyle Kuzma

Insider: Lakers are in trade talks for five players, including Kyle Kuzma

The Lakers reportedly haven’t given up on improving their roster this offseason.

Other than Dalton Knecht and Bronny James, the two players they drafted last week, the Los Angeles Lakers’ roster still looks similar to the one they had this past season.

Fans are already criticizing general manager Rob Pelinka and accusing him of allegedly being asleep on the job while some other teams across the NBA have improved via free agency and trades in recent days.

However, that doesn’t mean Pelinka hasn’t been trying to make something significant happen behind the scenes. Insider Anthony Irwin wrote that the Lakers are in trade talks with multiple teams about multiple players.

Via Lakers Daily:

“Sources say the Lakers have held trade talks with the Portland Trail Blazers about Jerami Grant, the Brooklyn Nets about Cameron Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith, the Toronto Raptors about Bruce Brown and the Washington Wizards about Kyle Kuzma — as well as other teams and other trade targets. To this point, though, those are the names most closely linked to the Lakers, according to league and team sources.”

According to Irwin, Grant would cost two first-round draft picks, while Finney-Smith would require L.A. to give up one first-round pick.

Brown, who was a key factor in the Denver Nuggets winning the NBA championship a year ago, is a player the Lakers have had interest in previously. They wanted to sign him last summer, and they had some desire to trade for him a few months ago.

Kuzma is likely a player fans would welcome back in a heartbeat. While he’s a mediocre 3-point shooter and not an easy fit next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis, he averaged 22.2 points and 4.2 assists while shooting 46.3% from the field this past season. All of those numbers were career highs for him.

Bulls Trade Ideas: Should Chicago trade for Kyle Kuzma?

Could a Kyle Kuzma trade be an option for the Chicago Bulls?

The Chicago Bulls are going to be looking to shake up their roster this summer. Finding a trade for Zach LaVine is reportedly going to be a top priority for Chicago, and as they attempt to do that, they should be planning for the future. One name to look at could be Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma.

Washington just wrapped up a terrible season, and though Kuzma just signed an extension this past summer, he could potentially be on the trade block. For the Bulls, Kuzma could be one of two pathways: A salary-matcher in a deal to ditch LaVine or a separate trade to help improve the roster.

Adding an offensive-minded player like Kuzma could do wonders for the Bulls, who have been very inconsistent on that end of the floor for the past few years.

Conclusion: Whether it be in a LaVine deal or otherwise, Kuzma would be a sneakily solid piece for the Bulls to put next to Coby White.

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Kyle Kuzma: Four trade destinations that make sense

As explored in our 2024 NBA Trade Deadline Preview here at HoopsHype, it makes sense for the Washington Wizards to trade veteran forward Kyle Kuzma between now and the deadline date of February 8 . Right now, teams are after him . Yet the longer …

As explored in our 2024 NBA Trade Deadline Preview here at HoopsHype, it makes sense for the Washington Wizards to trade veteran forward Kyle Kuzma between now and the deadline date of February 8. Right now, teams are after him. Yet the longer they leave it, the fewer suitors they will have.

It has already been an active month of January on the market, with fellow forwards OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam both dealt from the Toronto Raptors to the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers respectively, and the Miami Heat already having made their move with the acquisition of Terry Rozier. With targets and assets running out, those teams still on the market seeking to buy frontcourt reinforcements might now focus on Kuzma, if they had not done so already.

If they do, they will quickly see that Kuzma is currently halfway through a career year. He has played and started in every game and is recording career-best averages of 21.8 points and 4.4 assists per game, alongside 6.5 rebounds. A career-high 30.6 percent usage percentage versus a career average of 24.3 percent is certainly a large part of it, yet Kuzma has retained his overall sufficiently efficient shooting metrics on this higher volume and combines a useful three-point stroke with dribble-drive possessions, cut-and-dive instincts, transition play, some post touches, and a good handle on the ball for his position. He is good and getting better.

By contrast, the Wizards are bad and not getting better. Not this season, certainly, nor any time soon based on their current construction. If it was not for the history-making badness of the Detroit Pistons – who they just lost to – the Wizards would be the worst team in the NBA, and with their ugly 7-37 record, they might yet still get to the bottom. The contrast between the player and the team is stark.

NBA trade deadline 2024: The 10 most interesting players available and what it’ll cost to get them

Dejounte Murray, Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan are some names to watch.

The 2024 NBA trade deadline is approaching in just a few weeks and we may see a few former All-Stars involved in transactions.

As noted by my colleague Mike Sykes, this deadline may be quieter than normal because some of the bigger names (such as Pascal Siakam, O.G. Anunoby, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Bruce Brown and Terry Rozier) have already gotten traded.

But that doesn’t mean we will see no star power or players of value get moved. With that in mind, we took a look at some of the most intriguing trade candidates in the NBA and shared their expected value based on the most trusted reporting around the league.

Here is how it is shaking out so far:

Trade rumor rankings: Dejounte Murray, Bruce Brown and more

HoopsHype ranks the 10 players who have appeared most often in trade rumors over the previous week.

This week saw another huge name come off the board on the NBA trade market as the Toronto Raptors dealt Pascal Siakam to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Bruce Brown, three-first round picks and more. That means the player who ranked No. 1 in our trade rumor rankings article last week is now off the board.

Don’t worry, though, as we still have plenty of interesting names to talk about on the NBA trade market.

Below, check out the 10 players who have appeared most often in trade rumors over the previous week, based on the number of appearances on our Trade Rumors page.

Kyle Kuzma gives love to Austin Reaves for his Team USA play

Kyle Kuzma showed his support for Lakers guard Austin Reaves after another solid showing with Team USA.

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Weeks before training camp begins for the Los Angeles Lakers, Austin Reaves is getting valuable experience and exposure by playing for Team USA as it gears up for the FIBA World Cup.

The squad took part in its third exhibition game on Sunday, defeating Spain, 98-88. It was a tight game for the first three quarters, but the Americans flexed their muscles early in the final period and pulled away for the victory.

Reaves had another solid game with 11 points and a couple of nice highlights. Former Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma took notice, and he showed his support for the undrafted standout guard on social media (h/t Lakers Daily).

The next exhibition contest for Team USA is scheduled for Friday versus Greece. It will play its first official game of the tournament on Aug. 26.

Lance Stephenson: 2018-19 Lakers would’ve won NBA title if LeBron James didn’t get hurt

Veteran forward Lance Stephenson thinks the Lakers were primed for an NBA championship in the 2018-19 season until the injury bug hit.

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When LeBron James took his talents to the Los Angeles Lakers five years ago, fans were excited because it meant the team was relevant again after missing the playoffs the previous five seasons.

Becoming a championship team, on the other hand, was a taller order.

The Lakers were expected to be a solid team for the 2018-19 season with James and young prospects such as Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma and Lonzo Ball. Unfortunately, all four suffered injuries and ailments that ultimately torpedoed the year and resulted in L.A. missing the playoffs.

Lance Stephenson, a veteran forward on that team, told Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson while at And 1’s Open Run at Kingdome in Harlem, New York that he thinks had it not been for injuries, it would’ve won the NBA championship.

Ultimately, management knew the roster wasn’t quite at the level Stephenson claims it was, and it pulled off a blockbuster trade for Anthony Davis in the summer of 2019. Davis teamed up with James to immediately win the Lakers their 17th world title in their first season together.

 

Rockets’ Jalen Green draws rave reviews for offseason workouts with Kevin Durant, Kyle Kuzma

It’s an important offseason for Jalen Green, and the talented #Rockets guard is preparing for the 2023-24 season by working out with the likes of Kevin Durant and Kyle Kuzma.

NBA offseason workouts are in full swing, and third-year Rockets guard Jalen Green is taking full advantage. Drafted at No. 2 in the 2021 first round, Green led Houston last season with a scoring average of 22.1 points per game. He’s looking to build on that as the franchise aims to take the next step in its rebuild.

Earlier this month, various photos and videos showed Green training with newly signed teammate Fred VanVleet. Next month, the 21-year-old will join a handful of other rising stars on the U.S. Select Team at training camp ahead of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

In between, Green is working out with prominent NBA veterans Kyle Kuzma of the Washington Wizards and longtime superstar Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns.

Durant has long been regarded around the league as one of its most tireless workers and among the most dedicated to workouts. Thus, Green’s participation in several of those workouts would seem to indicate a high level of commitment as the athletic 6-foot-6 guard prepares for a crucial 2023-24 season in his career trajectory.

Kuzma, in particular, seemed quite impressed by Green’s work ethic, which he referred to as elite. Here’s a look at the handful of Green’s workout photos and videos posted to social media.

Kyle Kuzma feels the 2020 Lakers were better than the last three NBA champions

Former Laker Kyle Kuzma agreed with a tweet that said his 2020 team was “a tier above” the last three NBA champions.

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Forward Kyle Kuzma spent the first four seasons of his NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers, and he graciously accepted a role off the bench after previously starting when they won the world championship in 2020.

The 6-foot-9 forward was traded to the Washington Wizards in 2021’s controversial Russell Westbrook trade, but Lakers fans still seem to have a warm place in their hearts for him.

On Saturday, a Twitter user made a post that claimed the 2020 Lakers were “a tier above” the 2021 Milwaukee Bucks, 2022 Golden State Warriors and 2023 Denver Nuggets, all of whom won it all, and Kuzma agreed (h/t Lakers Daily).

Perhaps that Lakers team wasn’t one of the greatest ever, but it had plenty of depth, not to mention a spectacular superstar duo, LeBron James and Anthony Davis. At the very least, it was a special squad that fans will remember for decades.

 

The 5 worst contracts from 2023 NBA free agency, including Dillon Brooks’ bizarre deal with Rockets

Well, these NBA deals don’t make a lot of sense.

The biggest players in 2023 NBA free agency have by and large been signed by new teams for a lot of money.

While the five players on this list of worst contracts aren’t bad NBA players by any measure, their deals feel given by teams making hasty decisions to force success that may not be guaranteed.

A lot of money went out during this year’s NBA free agency cycle, and we feel these five deals could have either been structured a lot differently or not signed at all.

This is all subjective, but some of these deals left us just befuddled.