Kings Reportedly Interested in Trading for Lakers' Kyle Kuzma
By Karl Rasmussen
Despite the Lakers adamantly demanding to keep Kyle Kuzma during their quest to acquire Anthony Davis, it looks like the third-year forward could end up on the move after all.
Kuzma has reportedly been drawing interest on the trade market, with the Kings having been linked to the 24-year-old.
Sacramento is among the teams that has tried to engage the Lakers in Kyle Kuzma trade talks, league sources say. The Kings know they would have to include sharpshooter (and soon-to-be restricted free agent) Bogdan Bogdanovic, for starters, in a Kuzma deal
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) January 6, 2020
The Lakers are seeking additional 3-point shooting, as they currently rank 19th in the league with a 35.3% clip from beyond the arc. Thus, one player on the Kings they'd likely request in exchange for Kuzma would be sharpshooting winger Bogdan Bodganovic.
The 27-year-old Serbian is averaging 14.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. He hits an average of 3.4 3's per night, converting at a 38.3% clip. One of the league's premier deep ball threats, Bogdanovic is exactly the type of outside scorer the Lakers are looking to acquire.
Whether or not the Kings deem Kuzma a worthy return for the 3-point specialist remains to be seen, but Bogdanovic's contract expires at the end of this season, though there's a qualifying offer attached.
Lakers are "listening" to offers for Kyle Kuzma, per @sam_amick
— Bleacher Report NBA (@BR_NBA) January 5, 2020
GM Rob Pelinka is expected to be reluctant to move the 24-year-old. pic.twitter.com/SdX5J7eGRL
While the Lakers will field calls for the third-year forward's services, GM Rob Pelinka is reportedly "reluctant" to see Kuzma leave LA.
On the year, Kuzma is averaging career lows virtually across the board, with 11.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game across just 23.5 minutes. In 27 games, Kuzma has been a feature in the Lakers' starting lineup just once, despite starting 68 games last year.
Kuzma has been relegated to a much-diminished role in 2019-20, and that has resulted in some rebuilding teams expressing interest in the Utah product, including that of the Kings.