Shams: Lakers discuss Kuzma for Buddy deal

I'm open to trading Buddy, but think I'd rather pass on the Kuz + 22

Buddy is still an elite volume shooter, has a clearly defined skill and on a declining contract.

No rush to move him IMO, we are not contending this year.
 

Capt. Factorial

trifolium contra tempestatem subrigere certum est
Staff member
Interesting. I like Harris, he’s actually the same age as Buddy so not all that young, but his 34 mil a year? kind of makes sense Philli would want to move him.
Sites disagree on the exact size of the contract, but it looks like over the next three years it starts at $36M+ and comes up to a total of about $113-117M. So not exactly cheap.
 
Interesting. I like Harris, he’s actually the same age as Buddy so not all that young, but his 34 mil a year? kind of makes sense Philli would want to move him.
TH is a nice player, but not $35+-million-per-for-3-more-years nice. That said, he'd be an upgrade over Bags (or anyone else on the Kings) opposite HB on the front line. Buddy & Wright for Harris would help move the needle enough to yield a playoff team, IMO. Losing Buddy/Wright would also help balance out the team's positional needs and free Monte to truly draft the best and/or highest-upside available.

Fox
Hali
HB
Harris
Holmes/Noel [?]

Bench: #9, Jones, Davis [?],
 
TH is a nice player, but not $35+-million-per-for-3-more-years nice. That said, he'd be an upgrade over Bags (or anyone else on the Kings) opposite HB on the front line. Buddy & Wright for Harris would help move the needle enough to yield a playoff team, IMO. Losing Buddy/Wright would also help balance out the team's positional needs and free Monte to truly draft the best and/or highest-upside available.

Fox
Hali
HB
Harris
Holmes/Noel [?]

Bench: #9, Jones, Davis [?],
yes, I would think that a solid playoff team. I like Wright as a backup PG but we do have two starting PG’s in Fox and Haliburton, hopefully a resigned Davis and that alone is a nice young backcourt with a seasoned frontcourt. Also your right about it opens up Monte’s ability to draft highest upside, but again that price tag and cap considerations.
 
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dude12

Hall of Famer
Just rolling with the hypotheticals, if Buddy and Delon get traded for Tobias, I think it could put Davion Mitchell or a Bouknight in play at 9. I’d prefer us to do a Kuzma, Trez and 22 deal involving Buddy and draft Moody.
 

pdxKingsFan

So Ordinary That It's Truly Quite Extraordinary
Staff member
So if you're off-season is:

Draft Moody/Wagner
Kuzma/22/Harrell for Buddy
22 puts you in play for guys like Williams/Springer/Murphy/Mann
Resign Holmes
Resign T Davis:

Fox || Wright
Hali || Davis
Kuzma(think he'd probably start over the rook) || Moody
Barnes || Bagley
Holmes || Harrell

I mean... not bad? You'd still have the MLE and Bagley trades to explore as well. But honestly, not a horrible hedge to building for the future (getting the extra first) and trying to put together a team to win now. I've never been a Kuzma fan.. basically ever, but there is value in the position he plays and breaking up Buddy's contract into smaller pieces.
This is what I'm comfortable with if a mega-deal for Simmons isn't out there, and it looks like it won't be.
I don't like Kuzma but a lot of that is Lakers hatred. And he was doing fine there until AD arrived and limited his ability to play his best role.
 

pdxKingsFan

So Ordinary That It's Truly Quite Extraordinary
Staff member
I dont think any blazers fan would want this, nor would i if i were them, But it gets them a number of picks and lets them start a rebuild that they may have no choice but to do in a year. If reports are to be believed, Lillard wants out amd wants to go win a chip. If that is true, they risk losing him for nothing. If it isnt true then of course they don't do this trade.
The fans that actually buy tickets in Portland LOVE Dame and are clinging onto hope that they can make him happy.

I don't think it is possible, but they aren't ready to break up. On the outside looking in, I can see the value of doing it before you have to as the way to max value. And I think Bagley could succeed in Portland as long as he can get his dad to shut up and he is nice to women. If they get 4-5 picks from Sac and Philly on top of whatever players it brings it does set them up nice for a quick rebuild. Unfortunately for Blazers fans I do not think Olshey is the person competent to do it. He's been pretty lousy outside of Dame and CJ.
 
Just rolling with the hypotheticals, if Buddy and Delon get traded for Tobias, I think it could put Davion Mitchell or a Bouknight in play at 9. I’d prefer us to do a Kuzma, Trez and 22 deal involving Buddy and draft Moody.
I honestly don’t get the Moody love. Dude is Corey Brewer.
 
So if you're off-season is:

Draft Moody/Wagner
Kuzma/22/Harrell for Buddy
22 puts you in play for guys like Williams/Springer/Murphy/Mann
Resign Holmes
Resign T Davis:

Fox || Wright
Hali || Davis
Kuzma(think he'd probably start over the rook) || Moody
Barnes || Bagley
Holmes || Harrell

I mean... not bad? You'd still have the MLE and Bagley trades to explore as well. But honestly, not a horrible hedge to building for the future (getting the extra first) and trying to put together a team to win now. I've never been a Kuzma fan.. basically ever, but there is value in the position he plays and breaking up Buddy's contract into smaller pieces.
Kuzma starting man y’all just wanna do trades just to do them. And Bagley/Harrell together off the bench will have teams looking like The Dream Team
 
We’re usually on the same page regarding Buddy, but Kuzma, Harrell, n 22 (hopefully) is robbery. Lolzzx
How? Harrell can defend anyone and barely got minutes last year after Dallas exposed him the year before. Kuzma is a scrub no and it’s or buts about it and he’s do for an extension. Nothing good come from this including that 22nd pick
 
How? Harrell can defend anyone and barely got minutes last year after Dallas exposed him the year before. Kuzma is a scrub no and it’s or buts about it and he’s do for an extension. Nothing good come from this including that 22nd pick
If Harrell was brought in as the starting 5, i agree. But as a bench big, dude is a beast that the kings can flip mid season. Or push towards the POs.

I don’t question Kuzma’s value. Stretch 4s have had value since Robert Horry’s rocket days. Kuzma can be flipped and may be a long term piece if n3 gets his head straight. My biggest worry is where his head is.

There are a handful of players at 22 that I think will be better than Moody or Kispert. Herb Jones, Domsumu, Butler, maybe Murphy. If the Kings get 22, Monte should take it and run.
 
How? Harrell can defend anyone and barely got minutes last year after Dallas exposed him the year before. Kuzma is a scrub no and it’s or buts about it and he’s do for an extension. Nothing good come from this including that 22nd pick
You're breaking up Buddy's monster contract. You can potentially flip Trez to a contender as an expiring if we're out of the deal. You're adding a 1st round pick.

I don't think Kuzma is good, but he still plays a valuable position at the biggest need for the Kings. This deal would be a no-brainer.
 
would rather try to get Thybulle or Maxey from PHI.
The question is how to make salaries work. It would probably have to be some part of a Simmons deal where they break his salary down into 2-3 players and then ship then to Sac in a 3 team deal. Take notes Monte, this is why you can't afford to waste draft fit opportunities and instead go for high paid "win now" versions. In case you need to move on those deals will get complicated.
 
If Harrell was brought in as the starting 5, i agree. But as a bench big, dude is a beast that the kings can flip mid season. Or push towards the POs.

I don’t question Kuzma’s value. Stretch 4s have had value since Robert Horry’s rocket days. Kuzma can be flipped and may be a long term piece if n3 gets his head straight. My biggest worry is where his head is.

There are a handful of players at 22 that I think will be better than Moody or Kispert. Herb Jones, Domsumu, Butler, maybe Murphy. If the Kings get 22, Monte should take it and run.
Harrell has major upside as an acquisition but one that might be able to be gotten using your MLE anyway. He is a really productive sixth man and actually WANTS to be that. As for Kuzma, role player who I don't think fits nearly as well as a Moody/Wagner does long term since he is basically a stretch 4 as you said. I don't see he and Barnes being very versatile.
 

funkykingston

Super Moderator
Staff member
Harrell has major upside as an acquisition but one that might be able to be gotten using your MLE anyway. He is a really productive sixth man and actually WANTS to be that. As for Kuzma, role player who I don't think fits nearly as well as a Moody/Wagner does long term since he is basically a stretch 4 as you said. I don't see he and Barnes being very versatile.
This is assuming Barnes stays. Barnes is the better player and can swing between both forward spots (though he's better as a 4 IMO) while Kuzma only slots in as a stretch four. That said, Kuzma is 3 years younger, a better rebounder, and is cheaper. So while he might be a slight downgrade from HB, he allows the Kings to deal Barnes to shore up different aspects of the team/balance the roster.
 
This is assuming Barnes stays. Barnes is the better player and can swing between both forward spots (though he's better as a 4 IMO) while Kuzma only slots in as a stretch four. That said, Kuzma is 3 years younger, a better rebounder, and is cheaper. So while he might be a slight downgrade from HB, he allows the Kings to deal Barnes to shore up different aspects of the team/balance the roster.
Yeah, I don't think that's the way to go though. If they basically traded out Barnes for Kuz and expect that to fly, nah. Slight downgrades are still downgrades. Going too far down the rabbit hole of change is at some point change for sake of change and Vlade ran that one into the ground time and time again. If they are actually looking to improve they need to add to the pieces they have and build on what success' their team did show. I would be surprised if the Kings have any interest in moving Harrison. He's found a nice niche with the team so moving on from him unless it's a part of a deal for a real superstar or an attempt to get rebuild pieces makes no sense.

I was checking out that Holmes article from Ham just posted. The Kings lineup next season could be Fox/Tyreke/Kuz/Barnes/Holmes. So basically replacing Buddy with Kuz is the answer here? It might be to Luke Walton who is the one who boosted Kuz over the likes of Brandon Ingram and Julius Randle. In Lukes seasons with Kuz in his back pocket Kuz took the 1st and 2nd most FGA's during that time on the team. LOL. Run Monte run!
 
So if you're off-season is:

Draft Moody/Wagner
Kuzma/22/Harrell for Buddy
22 puts you in play for guys like Williams/Springer/Murphy/Mann
Resign Holmes
Resign T Davis:

Fox || Wright
Hali || Davis
Kuzma(think he'd probably start over the rook) || Moody
Barnes || Bagley
Holmes || Harrell

I mean... not bad? You'd still have the MLE and Bagley trades to explore as well. But honestly, not a horrible hedge to building for the future (getting the extra first) and trying to put together a team to win now. I've never been a Kuzma fan.. basically ever, but there is value in the position he plays and breaking up Buddy's contract into smaller pieces.
We're looking at more offensive talent but that team is a shoe in to be the worst team in the league defensively again. I don't think you can run Holmes and Harrell out there as your two centers. One of them has to be staggered with a defensive center. I really like Harrell but I'm not sure we're the team equipped to use his services as well as some other teams. Adding Harrell and Kuzma adds some offensive pop (especially from Harrell) but worsens the defense.

Hopefully a trade can be made that balances the roster out a bit better than that even though at first glance it looks good on paper.