Bruh have you been watching the Warriors over the last few years or (if you were a Lakers fan) the last time the Lakers won the chip? Having a starting caliber 6th man is actaully a good thing, not to mention the intangibles he brings regarding locker room chemistry etc. Why the fukk would they trade that especially as you said he's 'super-cheap'?
Kuz can be frustating at times but if you actually watched Laker games last year (instead of hopping on to the wagon because of Bron), you would know that Kuz can be very clutch and make big plays in big moments. Let him grow and find his role and stop all this nonsense.
Having a starting-caliber 6th man is great if you already have a competitive starting lineup and your 6th man can slide right into it.
Who do the Lakers have right now who could compete for starter minutes on a championship team next year? LeBron, Ingram, and "maybe" Lonzo or playoff Rondo. You can get a max guy in free agency next year, either a big or a 3-and-D. Then you need to trade for one more. Who are you going to use for trade bait if not Kuzma?
Ya'all keep talking like I'm trashing Kuzma when I'm actually calling him the best trade asset the Lakers have. He's just not a fantastic fit for this team's future because he shouldn't be getting the kind of iso possessions he likes on a team with LeBron, Ingram, and Lonzo/Rondo.
Who is a good player that is available right now?
It wouldn't be "right now" necessarily because some of the guys don't clear for trading purposes until December. But it's definitely plausible that Anthony Davis, Gasol, Conley, Lowry, Lilliard, Kemba, McCollum, Whiteside, Beal, Butler, Valanciunas, and/or Vucevic will be on the trading block.
Do you know the Lakers contract situation? Lakers can't even trade for Butler because to match the contracts they would have to trade Lonzo, Ingram, and Hart as well.
That's a ridiculous claim, it's highly plausible that the very reason the Lakers handed out the 1-year salaries they did to KCP, Rondo, Lance, and Beasley was so they could have expiring contracts to play with for trade purposes. That's $29 million in matching salary right there in addition to the $9 million they have in Lonzo/Kuzma, that's plenty of salary to make a deal.
Lakers do need Kuzma's scoring off the bench. There might be times when Ingram gets injured or Lebron sits out. You want Lakers to trust Lance Stephenson? lol.
Why you talking shyt about Lance, he's someone who has proven himself repeatedly in a playoff atmosphere. He's just fine for scoring off the bench, especially on a team that past LeBron and Ingram also has Lance, Hart, KCP, and Beasley. Even if you traded Kuzma you'd still have six wings who could score and that's not even counting whoever you got back in the trade. Wing scoring is not the Lakers' primary need.
Kuzma is a guy who can give 15 ppg in his sleep and that is valuable to any team. You want Lakers to trade Kuzma, a great contract, young player who was first team all rookie because he doesn't fit a team that is only built for 1 year. Half these guys might even not be here after February. If Lillard becomes available later on, Lakers can use Kuzma in that trade or AD or so on.
Why are you talking like I said they should rush a trade? I said they should dangle him. You still wait until you get the best trade possible.
A GM's job is to be patient and not trade a guy because he didn't look great in the first 3 preseason games. Guys like Lance, KCP, Rondo will go way before Kuzma does because Kuzma gives 15 ppg on a 2 mil contract.
Again, you're assuming this is about preseason. It's about fit.
KCP/Beasley/Lance are not assets, you are right..but they are all on 1 year deals. No one is asking for a superstar for them but a team like the Suns could do a swap for a guy like Chandler because they want do Chandler a favor. Orlando Magic have way too many bigs, they would love to have a guy like KCP on that team because he would benefit them more than Vuc would at this point.
Tyson Chandler just turned 36, I don't see the point. Vucevic is an option in a worse-case scenario. I think that they would rather chase Gasol, Valanciunas, Whiteside, Jordan, or even John Henson.
And you are looking for way too much from a backup. Lakers just need a hustle big who tries to defense and rebound.
Lakers still need a STARTING big. McGee is already a hustle big who tries to defend and rebound.
