Kyle Kuzma

[NYG]

Which teams would have interest in Kuzma? What would they offer?

[winforlose]

Which teams would have interest in Kuzma? What would they offer?

Likely teams like Portland, Utah, or other bottom teams. They would offer expirings or smaller contracts easier to move, and Washington would give up a first and maybe a 2nd. To be honest, I think the Wiz are better off keeping him.

[Texas Chuck]

No Washington isn't giving up multiple picks including a first to trade him to a bad team for expiring contracts. That makes less than zero sense for a tanking team to do. And the buyer would almost certainly be a team that thinks they have a shot at the playoffs this year. Bad teams don't want him, what's the point?

He's been a decent player. He plays a position in demand. Some team would give bad contracts/small incentive or shorter contracts/smaller incentive for him still. Hard to judge any player too clearly on a team this bad.

[winforlose]

No Washington isn't giving up multiple picks including a first to trade him to a bad team for expiring contracts. That makes less than zero sense for a tanking team to do. And the buyer would almost certainly be a team that thinks they have a shot at the playoffs this year. Bad teams don't want him, what's the point?

He's been a decent player. He plays a position in demand. Some team would give bad contracts/small incentive or shorter contracts/smaller incentive for him still. Hard to judge any player too clearly on a team this bad.

I didn’t say they should do it. I said what it would cost. He isn’t a great defender, his 3 point shooting is in the toilet, his size isn’t great for his position, and he has availability issues. He has played in 19 this season, and besides last season hasn’t played a 70 game season since his sophomore year. At 23, 21, 19 and change each of the next 3 years, he isn’t exactly in demand.

https://www.spotrac.com/nba/player/_/id/23622/kyle-kuzma

Edit to add: also there is apparently a trade kicker

Read on Twitter

[LightTheBeam]

Lakers right? Kuz has history of working with Lebron/AD. Rui has been replaced by DFS, and hasn't really figured out his role when lebron plays.

Rui + JHS + Wood + 2nds for Kuzma

Route Rui to another playoff team for a contract and 2nds

[SlimShady83]

Lakers right? Kuz has history of working with Lebron/AD.

So that history Includes Kuzma pushing Lebron to play Defense? You remember that or know about that right?
I've called him King Kuzma ever since

Watch on YouTube

[winforlose]

Lakers right? Kuz has history of working with Lebron/AD. Rui has been replaced by DFS, and hasn't really figured out his role when lebron plays.

Rui + JHS + Wood + 2nds for Kuzma

Route Rui to another playoff team for a contract and 2nds

Turn next years expiring into a bad money deal with an extra year. Pay 2nds to do it, plus raise the payroll even further with replacement minimum for JHS (I believe the Lakers have 15 players at present, minimum is 14.) Do you really think Kuzma is that much better than Rui to make it worth it?

https://www.spotrac.com/nba/player/_/id/31566/rui-hachimura

[LightTheBeam]

Lakers right? Kuz has history of working with Lebron/AD. Rui has been replaced by DFS, and hasn't really figured out his role when lebron plays.

Rui + JHS + Wood + 2nds for Kuzma

Route Rui to another playoff team for a contract and 2nds

Turn next years expiring into a bad money deal with an extra year. Pay 2nds to do it, plus raise the payroll even further with replacement minimum for JHS (I believe the Lakers have 15 players at present, minimum is 14.) Do you really think Kuzma is that much better than Rui to make it worth it?

https://www.spotrac.com/nba/player/_/id/31566/rui-hachimura

Personally? No. But i do think the Lakers have limited options and may make a deal to try and bolster the roster somewhat. Kuzma was part of the original championship squad.

They are tied to AD/Lebron until lebron calls it quits.

[winforlose]

Lakers right? Kuz has history of working with Lebron/AD. Rui has been replaced by DFS, and hasn't really figured out his role when lebron plays.

Rui + JHS + Wood + 2nds for Kuzma

Route Rui to another playoff team for a contract and 2nds

Turn next years expiring into a bad money deal with an extra year. Pay 2nds to do it, plus raise the payroll even further with replacement minimum for JHS (I believe the Lakers have 15 players at present, minimum is 14.) Do you really think Kuzma is that much better than Rui to make it worth it?

https://www.spotrac.com/nba/player/_/id/31566/rui-hachimura

Personally? No. But i do think the Lakers have limited options and may make a deal to try and bolster the roster somewhat. Kuzma was part of the original championship squad.

They are tied to AD/Lebron until lebron calls it quits.

I agree the Lakers may try to make a deal. But this deal has them as bad or worse with less assets and more bad money. I think the move is out there, this is just not it.

[GatherStepGuru]

No Washington isn't giving up multiple picks including a first to trade him to a bad team for expiring contracts. That makes less than zero sense for a tanking team to do. And the buyer would almost certainly be a team that thinks they have a shot at the playoffs this year. Bad teams don't want him, what's the point?

He's been a decent player. He plays a position in demand. Some team would give bad contracts/small incentive or shorter contracts/smaller incentive for him still. Hard to judge any player too clearly on a team this bad.

I didn’t say they should do it. I said what it would cost. He isn’t a great defender, his 3 point shooting is in the toilet, his size isn’t great for his position, and he has availability issues. He has played in 19 this season, and besides last season hasn’t played a 70 game season since his sophomore year. At 23, 21, 19 and change each of the next 3 years, he isn’t exactly in demand.

https://www.spotrac.com/nba/player/_/id/23622/kyle-kuzma

Edit to add: also there is apparently a trade kicker

Read on Twitter

Kuz gets a lot of heat for things I think are out of his control. The season WAS had him, Porzongis, and Beal, he looked solid. Beal was just always hurt. Put Kuz on a team with a good rim protector and solid wing defender, and I think you see a better version of him. He’s also taken a back seat this year with Poole moving to point full time. Teams I think Kuz could help make a playoff push that come to mind are the Heat and Spurs.

Also, keep in mind WAS is deliberately trying to tank, so I think vets like him and Brogdon aren’t necessarily rushing back from injuries. They’re likely giving young guys like Sarr and Champagnie more looks at the 4. Sarr came in saying he wanted to play the 4, but a few games in, we see he’s better suited at the 5 for now.

[Astaluego]

I thought about the Bulls or the Clippers

[R-DAWG]

From a distance it feels like he got traded to a bad team, got paid, and stopped caring. Scary combination. But having said that, he’s been an impactful player on a championship team, has an in demand combination of size and skill set, and has a reasonable contract.

Call me crazy, but if Washington got a 1st for him I wouldn’t be shocked.

[jayjaysee]

The trade kicker is prorated right? So at this point it is likely only 8~ million spread over the three years? and Washington pay it?

Don’t think that’s much of a factor.

I still think he will be a Bull. They still haven’t tanked for some reason. They still have matching salary, still need a forward to hold the spot down for a year or more. And still have the Portland first so Washington can say they got a first.

[Scoot McGroot]

The trade kicker is prorated right? So at this point kts likely only 8~ million spread over the three years? and Washington pay it?

Don’t think that’s much of a factor.
.

It’s only be paid out on what he’s remaining to be paid. And it would increase his cap number on the books for cap/tax/apron calculations, too. Washington would pay the cash kicker, but any receiving team would have to account for the increase on their books.

[jayjaysee]

The trade kicker is prorated right? So at this point kts likely only 8~ million spread over the three years? and Washington pay it?

Don’t think that’s much of a factor.
.

It’s only be paid out on what he’s remaining to be paid. And it would increase his cap number on the books for cap/tax/apron calculations, too. Washington would pay the cash kicker, but any receiving team would have to account for the increase on their books.

Yeah, I never had Kuzma as very valuable but as his deal was front loaded - I just don’t think the extra 2.5-3 mil per year would hold up any trade. Feels minor

If you like Kuzma at 2yr41 you’re still going to like him at 2yr46?

[Scoot McGroot]

The trade kicker is prorated right? So at this point kts likely only 8~ million spread over the three years? and Washington pay it?

Don’t think that’s much of a factor.
.

It’s only be paid out on what he’s remaining to be paid. And it would increase his cap number on the books for cap/tax/apron calculations, too. Washington would pay the cash kicker, but any receiving team would have to account for the increase on their books.

Yeah, I never had Kuzma as very valuable but as his deal was front loaded - I just don’t think the extra 2.5-3 mil per year would hold up any trade. Feels minor

If you like Kuzma at 2yr41 you’re still going to like him at 2yr46?

Oh, yeah, mostly. And even then, it's not cash the new team has to pay, just the higher tax/apron number. Mostly just pointed it out as it could complicate deals for teams that are close to the apron, even if they're not over the tax. It's a really weird situation with how the unearned incentives for all players count against the hard caps, etc.

[MoneyTalks41890]

Biggest problem to me is he has a sub-50 percent TS this year and is making 20 million per. You’d need to have the culture to know you can get him to put in the work while also being somewhat desperate.

[pcbothwel]

Biggest problem to me is he has a sub-50 percent TS this year and is making 20 million per. You’d need to have the culture to know you can get him to put in the work while also being somewhat desperate.

Kuz has his share of deficiencies, but he has been remarkably consistent over the last half decade. Same TS in 6/7 years, same ORtg in 4/7 years. I dont think a 19-game sample size this year will really change much in how GM's view him.

While some could point to those numbers and say he never improved, his role and usage need to be taken into context.
He went from being the 3/4th option with the Lakers (20% usage) to the 1st option last year (30% usage), while seeing no decline in efficiency. One could argue that if his role was reduced to being a 3rd/4th option again, that there would be an uptick in efficiency.

Im not sure the salary is an issue in the context of a trade. The wiz would be taking back bad money in any deal, so you have to factor in the 23-28M in bad money any team would be offloading as well.

[jbk1234]

No Washington isn't giving up multiple picks including a first to trade him to a bad team for expiring contracts. That makes less than zero sense for a tanking team to do. And the buyer would almost certainly be a team that thinks they have a shot at the playoffs this year. Bad teams don't want him, what's the point?

He's been a decent player. He plays a position in demand. Some team would give bad contracts/small incentive or shorter contracts/smaller incentive for him still. Hard to judge any player too clearly on a team this bad.

I didn’t say they should do it. I said what it would cost. He isn’t a great defender, his 3 point shooting is in the toilet, his size isn’t great for his position, and he has availability issues. He has played in 19 this season, and besides last season hasn’t played a 70 game season since his sophomore year. At 23, 21, 19 and change each of the next 3 years, he isn’t exactly in demand.

https://www.spotrac.com/nba/player/_/id/23622/kyle-kuzma

Edit to add: also there is apparently a trade kicker

Read on Twitter

Players can and do waive trade kickers when they want to be traded. It's not really a situation where they're being asked to give up money. If there's no trade, they're not getting the money anyway.

[Billl]

I don't think there is a huge market for inefficient scorers who don't really defend. His contract is actually pretty reasonable for a NBA starter nowadays, so I'm sure the Wiz could trade him for expirings, but I don't think there will be much value coming back.