Kudos to the Los Angeles Lakers’ Rob Pelinka for pulling off a trade that not only gives the Lakers a needed third scorer and second playmaker in Dennis Schroder but also for not giving up his primary trading chip in Kyle Kuzma.
Getting Sam Presti to accept Danny Green and the 28th pick in the draft in exchange for Schroder means Pelinka still has enough ammunition left to pull off a second major trade to fill needs and upgrade the Lakers’ roster. Kuzma has starter quality talent and ambitions but plays the same positions as Lakers’ superstars James and Davis. Kyle will become a restricted free agent next offseason so it makes sense for the Lakers to trade him now.
The surprise is not that the Lakers traded for Schroder but that they did not have to give up Kuzma as part of the package. The expectation all along has been that any Lakers package had to include Kuzma, Green, and the pick. Since Kuzma will only make $3.5 million this season, the Lakers will need to include other contracts as salary filler to receive true value for him. That’s why everybody assumed he would be likely be traded with Green.
Without Danny Green’s $15.5 million contract, Rob Pelinka may only have JaVale McGee’s $4.2 million and Quinn Cook’s $3.0 million as salary filler since word is Avery Bradley is likely to exercise his $5.0 million player option. That means the Lakers would be limited to trading for a player or players whose combined salaries were less than 125% of the $10.7 million total salaries they were sending out plus $100,000, which equals $13.5 million.
There are several outstanding players who make less than $13.5 million per year who may be available in a trade for a talented young player with star potential like Kzma and would be perfect additions to the Lakers’ roster. How about trading Kuzma, McGee, and Cook for New Orleans shooting guard JJ Redick, who has 1 year left at $13.0 million, or Houston power forward Robert Covington, who has 2 years left and earns $12.9 million?
The Lakers could also utilize the $10.7 million Kuzma, McGee, and Cook package to pursue a sign-and-trade package for a coveted free agent who wanted more money than available for the $9.3 million non-taxpayer MLE. That might be the difference in convincing Serge Ibaka or Danilo Gallinari to sign with the Lakers and the Raptors or Thunder would be more than willing to agree to a sign-and-trade to acquire Kuzma without giving up anything.
There’s another scenario where a team offers Kentavious Caldwell-Pope a contract for more salary or years than the Lakers are willing to pay, in which case the Lakers could include a KCP sign-and-trade in the Kuzma package. For example, if a team were willing to offer KCP a 3-year contract starting at $15 million per year, the Lakers would be able to offer Kuzma, McGee, Cook, and KCP for a star player with an annual salary up to $32.2 million.
While I don’t think Kuzma, KCP, and filler is enough for the Lakers to land a legitimate star, it does give the Lakers a way to offer a player like Serge Ibaka or maybe Christian Wood a salary that’s greater than $13.5 million. Bottom line, the Lakers have a plethora of options to trade Kyle Kuzma to fill critical needs and Rob Pelinka is not done making deals to upgrade the roster. The trade for Dennis Schroder was just the first domino to fall.
I think we’re in for another transcendent NBA offseason, much like last offseason where big name players were moving like chess pieces and challengers were emerging from everywhere.
I don’t see any way Rob doesn’t move Kuzma this week. This will be the best opportunity to sell high on him and the move I like is flipping him to New Orleans for JJ Redick. Reunite Kuzma with the rest of the baby Lakers. McGee also fits their needs. And JJ has 1-year left and is on the market. Kuzma’s a perfect fit for NO.
The word that Bradley is opting out could give the Lakers room to still keep KCP. I think that’s an important move for the Lakers to do. Because of age and defense, he’s more important than Rondo now that we have Dennis. He’s a Klutch brother. Pay him.
As I said in the article: “Bottom line, the Lakers have a plethora of options to trade Kyle Kuzma to fill critical needs and Rob Pelinka is not done making deals to upgrade the roster. The trade for Dennis Schroder was just the first domino to fall.”
You are right Tom. This is the first piece of the domino. I love those options on how we can trade Kuzma. I just heard that CP3 has been traded to the Suns for Oubre, Rubio and other pieces. I would love to contact OKC again and inquire about Oubre. He is athletic, can shoot the 3 and is good in defense. Then again, it is just an option. I would love to have Ibaka or Wood as well. I also don’t think we will be able to get a start with just Kuzma. We will never know but it is worth the try. We will se what Rob will do in the next few days. Go Lakers
Thanks for reading and commenting, Havoc. Great points. Oubre would be terrific on the Lakers but Presti is not going to trade him for Kuzma and filler. Oubre is way better than Kuz.
You’re right that we won’t get a star with Kuzma. Best we could do for Kuzma would be a vet on a rebuilding team like Redick or, if the Rockets blow it up, Covington.
Kuzma’s value is he’s youth and upside. He’s not going to get another young player. Best is a veteran from a rebuilding team.
How i wish we can get Oubre for Kuz. It will indeed be a pipe dream. I would rather go with Covington than JJ Redick. Covington is a good defensive player and can also shoot the 3 ball. He can also guard both forward positions. If we can sign Matthews and Ibaka plus have Covington or just like what you mentioned on the article like a sign and trade for Woods, that is an A+ offseason for me
Just read OKC doesn’t want to keep Oubre. Too bad we don’t have another draft pick to trade.
Yeah also read that. They are flipping Oubre and Rubio for more assets. I guess OKC wants the picks more than a promising player. Is there a way we can trade a future pick for Oubre?
Man…how many draft picks does OKC need?!
If we assume the trade market for Kyle Kuzma is a rebuilding team looking to move an overpaid veteran player under contract or a free agent available via a sign-and-trade, what options remain for the Lakers to trade Kuzma?
1. Pelicans: JJ Redick
2. Thunder: Danilo Gallinari
3. Raptors: Serge Ibaka.
4. Rockets: Robert Covington
What if the Lakers include a S&T of KCP?
1. Pistons: Christian Wood
2. Thunder: Kelly Oubre
3. Nuggets: Jerami Grant
4. Pacers: Victor Oladipo
I think an interesting trade that might appeal to the Pacers would be Kuzma and KCP on a 3-year $45 million S&T for an injured Victor Oladipo. Victor slides into Green’s starting shooting guard and KCP takes over for Victor on the Pacers plus Indiana gets a high upside combo forward in Kuzma.
I love the offense and defense of a Schroder and Oladipo backcourt.
LT that’s the first Oladipo trade I can get behind pretty much 100%.
Thanks, Jamie. I think it would be a win for both teams. KCP is a quality two-way shooting guard who would be a great fit on any team and Kuzma could blossom with a starting role on the Pacers. Meanwhile, the Lakers get a shot at the third superstar they need to go with LeBron and AD and to pair with AD when LeBron retires.
I think any of the names mentioned for the Signing and Trading of KCP would be a nice fit to our roster. It will bolster our roster tremendously since the Bucks have upgraded their backcourt really well. Credit to the Bucks for making those deals. I think Giannis will now be signing his Supermax. I would rather prefer to have Bradley Beal than Giannis. How i wish we still have another pick available.
I believe, sir, you’re under moratorium from proposing such far-fetched trades for at least 2 weeks on account of you not realizing that Avery Bradley was a little B-azz snake.
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OR you can hold onto him until the deadline, make a decision on whether to extend, trade or let it ride in free agency. His cap hold isn’t terrible, nor is it great ($8.9 mil) and his QO is reasonable ($5.2 mil). At that price you can afford to wait and see all the way into free agency. Frankly, without a large contract to pair with Kyle (the only potential one we can conceivably move would be for whatever we sign KCP to at this point) there’s not too many avenues left to get equitable value for Kyle. He also could S&T for next off-season, as well.
Frankly it also makes a decent amount of sense to work out an extension mid-season. He’s extension-eligible this entire season, I believe, and that could work in our favor, as well. Rob has demonstrated elite skills in navigating the NBA salary cap rules. Feels like that, since we’re moving Green, he has a bold plan in place. Here’s hoping.
There’s always a risk making moves in the middle of the season, especially one likely to be as crazy as the coming one. Victor could recover completely and become unavailable. I think there’s a better chance of that happening than Kuz changing his trajectory because of playing time. Better to make the move now while Oladipo is potentially available. I don’t like changes midstream. It’s a long shot probably but it’s an idea I like.