Shams: Lakers discuss Kuzma for Buddy deal

pdxKingsFan

So Ordinary That It's Truly Quite Extraordinary
Staff member
#33
are you saying draft a player and then trade him at a later date?
they make the trade after the pick is selected. Happens all the time. I think I would still want one more future pick though and I'm not sure Lakers can do that. but hell the further out it gets the more chances it winds up being good too. so why not just ask them to throw in a 2027 (if they're allowed to do that?)
 

pdxKingsFan

So Ordinary That It's Truly Quite Extraordinary
Staff member
#35
sounds an awful lot like trading a draft pick :D

I suppose it still serves its purpose though.
I think when they made the consecutive picks trade rules it was a) to keep bad teams from completely destroying their future and b) to keep fans invested on draft day and lotto day - I think either or both of these reasons are why they eventually returned a few picks to Minny after the Joe Smith debacle.
 
#36
Harrell was not happy riding the bench behind Drummond and Gasol if promised minutes at C to prove his worth in a contract year maybe he opts in? Gives us a year for a drafted big at #22 to develop. Kuzma and Harrell might improve our defense and make Bagley work harder or Luke will not start him lol

Or better yet sign Noel with MLE use #9 and #22 for two defensive minded wings
 
Last edited:
#37
If that was entirely true, why is he still here? I don't want to get rid of him just to get rid of him but if it improves the team? I despise the Lakers but the Kings don't even qualify as an after thought for them in the Kings current state, nor should they.
I assume he is still here because he is good. It probably isn't easy for management to let go of such a player and I would guess they want to make sure the team is getting a better situation in return for trading him.
 
#40
My initial impression is F all the way off with this one. Luke might want his gleaming example of role player boosting back but no thanks to that.
 
#46
But technically you are trading a “drafted player” and not a “draft pick” kinda a loophole for it trading consecutive “draft picks”. It does happen quite often.
It was awhile ago but the first one that comes to mind is when we traded for the rights to Donte Green from the Rockets. I don’t know about quite often maybe my memory is just bad
 
#47
I have no interest in Kuzma who's a RFA. He's probably looking for a big contract and he's kinda "meh" all around. I'd be okay with their 22nd overall pick and getting a 3rd team involved to take Kuzma while giving us an additional asset.
kuzma is signed till 2024
 

kingsboi

Hall of Famer
#48
Kuzma is about as bad as it gets in terms of bringing zero winning qualities to your team. At least Buddy can shoot and is an Ironman despite his performances give fans high blood pressure. Lakers win any trade where they give up Kuzma and an irrelevant 22 pick that may not even be as good as Buddy.
 
#49
I don’t think the Kings and Lakers have ever made a trade together in the Sacramento era. Would be a shame if it started with a straight up Buddy for Kuzma deal. Don’t like that at all.
 
#53
They'd need to sweeten the deal. Kuzma improved his defense a lot and would be a big upgrade over Bagley but he's still just an average player overall. Although Kuzma seems to be improving while Buddy is getting worse but I think Walton has a lot to do with that.
 
#56
Kuzma is about as bad as it gets in terms of bringing zero winning qualities to your team. At least Buddy can shoot and is an Ironman despite his performances give fans high blood pressure. Lakers win any trade where they give up Kuzma and an irrelevant 22 pick that may not even be as good as Buddy.
Do we just keep Buddy then? I know it's the Lakers and the thought of possibly making them better is disgusting, but is there a realistic trade we can do with Buddy that is better than this? Buddy is turning 29 this year. He is what he is. A low IQ player that doesn't play any defense, but can help spread the floor as well as any player in the league. Do any late lottery teams give up their pick for that? I doubt it personally. Kuzma was also a really promising player before Lebron and AD got there and his development took a mean curveball. I think I do that trade.
 
#57
I'm with the "I don't hate it" camp if it includes LA's first round pick. Buddy provides elite spacing but gives it all back on D and is paid as if he were a top 50 player. Not sure that Kuzma impacts winning but he isn't a scrub and costs much less.
 

kingsboi

Hall of Famer
#58
Do we just keep Buddy then? I know it's the Lakers and the thought of possibly making them better is disgusting, but is there a realistic trade we can do with Buddy that is better than this? Buddy is turning 29 this year. He is what he is. A low IQ player that doesn't play any defense, but can help spread the floor as well as any player in the league. Do any late lottery teams give up their pick for that? I doubt it personally. Kuzma was also a really promising player before Lebron and AD got there and his development took a mean curveball. I think I do that trade.
we may think that Buddy's value is at some all time low but I don't think that's necessarily the case. GMs will try to get Buddy for pennies on the dollar and I hope Monte doesn't take the change and instead waits it out to find a team that benefits the team whether acquiring an additional first round pick or a young player with defensive potential
 
#59
we may think that Buddy's value is at some all time low but I don't think that's necessarily the case. GMs will try to get Buddy for pennies on the dollar and I hope Monte doesn't take the change and instead waits it out to find a team that benefits the team whether acquiring an additional first round pick or a young player with defensive potential
Yeah I am really curious to see where Buddy's value is. I wouldn't trade Buddy just to trade him either, but if better offers don't materialize I wouldn't be upset with that one because that is where I could definitely see his value being.
 
#60
I think I could live with this assuming it was made after 22 was selected and it was someone like Ziaire.
I would think that if a Buddy for Kuzma + #22 pick trade was made, the trade would be made before the draft and Kings would be the ones who actually picks the player, but the trade won't become official until after rookies sign their rookie deals.

At 22, I think taking a high risk/high reward player like Zaire Williams would be a good gamble, especially with the Hali-Zaire dynamics.