[Trade rumor]Kings offered Bjelica for Kuzma, Lakers want Bogdan instead
- Thread starter Peja
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People looking at this year's version of Kuzma and thinking this is all he's got are being silly. Kuzma is not being used to his strengths. Looking at his numbers as a starter or even when he's played more than the 25 minutes he's getting now he's been much more effective. Bjelly's stock is as high as it will ever be and I honestly love Bogi's game. But both can be gone in the offseason.
People pretending Kuzma is trash are simply lying to themselves. He's every bit as talented as Bogi. I get the fit concerns, but the people saying he's not good are delusional. The same stuff was being said of all the young Lakers before they were traded. Jordan Clarkson is looking like an excellent 6th man. Randle has transformed into a consistent 18 and 8 a game guy. DLo and Ingram have both now been selected to the Allstar game. Mo Wagner and Thomas Bryant are looking like a steal for what the Wizards gave up for them.
Several of their players have been steals for the teams that traded for them. I'm willing to bet Kuzma would be better away from them.
People pretending Kuzma is trash are simply lying to themselves. He's every bit as talented as Bogi. I get the fit concerns, but the people saying he's not good are delusional. The same stuff was being said of all the young Lakers before they were traded. Jordan Clarkson is looking like an excellent 6th man. Randle has transformed into a consistent 18 and 8 a game guy. DLo and Ingram have both now been selected to the Allstar game. Mo Wagner and Thomas Bryant are looking like a steal for what the Wizards gave up for them.
Several of their players have been steals for the teams that traded for them. I'm willing to bet Kuzma would be better away from them.
You straight assuming that people are solely looking at this year's version of Kuzma is --- well, silly. It's called confirmation bias.
Some people just don't believe he's that great a player. Or, at the very least, not good enough to trade Bogi or Belly for or to deal with a division and hated rival.
@Joshoua is spot on about his defense. It's 'turrible' to quote Charles Barkley. The KINGS have enough players that can score but not defend. They've got that market cornered.
Bogi is a better all-around player by far and Belly is every bit as good a deep shooter as Kuz. So what's the point?
It seems to me that some fans are just in on making changes for the sake of making changes. But that's not necessarily gonna make the team any better.
Meanwhile, it remains a pretty smart tactic not to help improve a team you hope to be competing against for division and playoffs in the near future and that just happens to be a hated rival. Believe it or not, they won't have LBJ for all that much longer. Dude will be 36 yo later this year.
Some people just don't believe he's that great a player. Or, at the very least, not good enough to trade Bogi or Belly for or to deal with a division and hated rival.
@Joshoua is spot on about his defense. It's 'turrible' to quote Charles Barkley. The KINGS have enough players that can score but not defend. They've got that market cornered.
Bogi is a better all-around player by far and Belly is every bit as good a deep shooter as Kuz. So what's the point?
It seems to me that some fans are just in on making changes for the sake of making changes. But that's not necessarily gonna make the team any better.
Meanwhile, it remains a pretty smart tactic not to help improve a team you hope to be competing against for division and playoffs in the near future and that just happens to be a hated rival. Believe it or not, they won't have LBJ for all that much longer. Dude will be 36 yo later this year.
It's really not about helping the Lakers. They're not good JUST because of LeBron. They also have Anthony Davis and a host of role players. They showed that they can contribute when one or both of LeBron/AD sit out. My bigger concern is the fact the Kings aren't good now and if we pay Bogi we're committing to a team that can't even win the 8th seed. As currently constructed the Lakers could very well make it out of the conference. We're worrying about not helping a team that doesn't need our help.
I'm all for finding better options to trade for Bogi and Jeli but we're almost out of time. Our options are either one or both walk and we become a lesser team than we are today or we resign one or both and further exacerbate our cap situation with our best 2 players still needing to be signed in the next 3 seasons. The scary part is I don't know which option is worse. Either we get worse as a team but gain cap space or we stay the same and lose it.
I'm all for finding better options to trade for Bogi and Jeli but we're almost out of time. Our options are either one or both walk and we become a lesser team than we are today or we resign one or both and further exacerbate our cap situation with our best 2 players still needing to be signed in the next 3 seasons. The scary part is I don't know which option is worse. Either we get worse as a team but gain cap space or we stay the same and lose it.
If the Kings make the deal for Kuzma, I'm going to be pretty confident in the deal, if for no other reason that Walton coached him. It's not like he doesn't know what he's getting. He worked with him for years. He knows his work ethic, his strengths, his weaknesses, his coachability. If anyone knows his potential and how well he would integrate into the Kings' team it should be Walton. This is the rare circumstance in which the potential buyer may know more than the seller about what he has or doesn't have.
That is the problem his skillset is not going to be easy to replace (high IQ/can get to the rim some/elite shooting/unselfish) at a cheap cost but the fact that he has to play well for the Kings to be a success is super worrying moving forward since he's not in the 23-28 age range bracket and not part of the future.
In other words, the kind of player our FO loves? 
But seriously, I don't see his fit and I think he is overrated based on raw numbers. He is playing with one of the best at drawing defenders and creating spacing in LBJ, and does not take advantage in terms of efficiency. Sure, Bjelica and Bogi are not perfect, but trading either of them for Kuzma is a step back, IMO.
But seriously, I don't see his fit and I think he is overrated based on raw numbers. He is playing with one of the best at drawing defenders and creating spacing in LBJ, and does not take advantage in terms of efficiency. Sure, Bjelica and Bogi are not perfect, but trading either of them for Kuzma is a step back, IMO.
We don't have that much to lose imo, this is a similar deal to when we traded Derrick Williams for Luke Richard (rest of name) except Kuz is better than Williams and Bjelica and Bogi is better than LRMAM and injury prone like him. While that trade didn't work for either team neither team lost anything as well.
The Kings have to roll the dice the team is not talented enough right now to be anything than fighting for at BEST a 8th seed. I am kind of surprised there has not been more buzz around Bjelica from a playoff team..........I do wish the Kings would go after talented players who have under performed a bit more e.g Josh Jackson, Kevin Knox (yes they have sucked/not played this year as well) instead of the Arzia/Bazemores.
The Kings have to roll the dice the team is not talented enough right now to be anything than fighting for at BEST a 8th seed. I am kind of surprised there has not been more buzz around Bjelica from a playoff team..........I do wish the Kings would go after talented players who have under performed a bit more e.g Josh Jackson, Kevin Knox (yes they have sucked/not played this year as well) instead of the Arzia/Bazemores.
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Bogi wit the game changing 8 points in 28 minutes. Everyone knows he has the talent to be good, but people are delusional thinking he's this great player. He's highly inconsistent. The Lakers team is deep and they just showed it. So much for the "only good because of LeBron" logic. Yes LeBron is fantastic but they're a deep team.
We've gotta wake up people. We've got a few more days to move Jeli and Bogi. We're not going anywhere fast with them and about to lose them for nothing or be forced into signing them up long term for more of them same nothing we have now.
If we can talk the Buck, 76ers or Lakers (contenders with deep teams) into giving up some of their pieces for Bogi we've gotta do it. As currently constructed were not a good team
We've gotta wake up people. We've got a few more days to move Jeli and Bogi. We're not going anywhere fast with them and about to lose them for nothing or be forced into signing them up long term for more of them same nothing we have now.
If we can talk the Buck, 76ers or Lakers (contenders with deep teams) into giving up some of their pieces for Bogi we've gotta do it. As currently constructed were not a good team
Bjelica and Bogi are going to be 2 of the more popular names at the deadline this year, especially as we keep losing. Cheap right now, no commitment of long-term money. They're the perfect pieces that contenders usually give up a late first round pick for.
Just got to hope Vlade isn't delusional about this roster and decides to hold on to them.
Just got to hope Vlade isn't delusional about this roster and decides to hold on to them.
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/28622376/nba-trade-talk-happen-deadline
So Zach Lowe mentions that Charlotte has shown interest in Bogie?
Monk and Bridges two rookies for Bogie? Two cheap contracts for a backup SG,SF?
Salaries match, clears salary for Hornets to sign Bogie?
Cost to kings next year 9 mil for 2 backups vs a Bogie Match at 13-18m ?
So Zach Lowe mentions that Charlotte has shown interest in Bogie?
Monk and Bridges two rookies for Bogie? Two cheap contracts for a backup SG,SF?
Salaries match, clears salary for Hornets to sign Bogie?
Cost to kings next year 9 mil for 2 backups vs a Bogie Match at 13-18m ?
Charlotte would be an interesting trading partner if they’re trying to make a run. They have some young pieces with good pedigrees that have under achieved so far, which is precisely the type of player the Kings should be looking at if they decide to sell.
I would love to land Bridges but I don’t think they include him for Bogi, much less along with Monk. Maybe if they think they need Barnes and we took on Batum, but even then they’d probably ask for more.
I would love to land Bridges but I don’t think they include him for Bogi, much less along with Monk. Maybe if they think they need Barnes and we took on Batum, but even then they’d probably ask for more.