Kyle Kuzma is one of the most intriguing names to monitor before the NBA trade deadline. The Washington Wizards face a decision with the 29-year-old forward, who has been their most productive player over the last few seasons. Despite signing him to a four-year, $90 million guaranteed deal in the 2023 offseason, Kuzma’s timeline doesn’t align with Washington’s young core. This makes him an ideal trade candidate, which is why the Kuzma trade rumors have consistently been discussed. Here are three teams that could be candidates for a Kuzma trade.
Three Teams That Could Trade for Kyle Kuzma
A Kuzma Lakers Reunion
A Kyle Kuzma Lakers trade is always a possibility. Kuzma began his NBA career in Los Angeles and played a key role in their 2020 championship run. His growth as a scorer since leaving the Lakers makes him an even more valuable piece for a team looking to contend.
His ability to create offense and space the floor would lift the burden on LeBron James and Anthony Davis. This could give the Lakers a reliable third-scoring option. It would also give them some of the size their roster lacks.
The Lakers would likely have to include some draft capital to acquire Kuzma, something they haven’t been afraid to throw around in the latter years of LeBron’s career. While the Wizards could probably get better value elsewhere, the Lakers’ urgency to maximize LeBron’s championship window could push them to make a deal. That being said, the Lakers’ hot start to the season may incentivize them to stand pat and see how things play out with their current roster instead of making a trade for Kuzma.
Detroit Takes A Swing
It wasn’t expected that the Detroit Pistons would be taking any swings in the trade market. As a young team, they were expected to continue to develop their existing talent rather than get veteran help.
Now the Pistons are off to a surprisingly decent start. With the Eastern Conference looking like the much weaker conference, they could take a swing to lock down a solid playoff spot. The Pistons have plenty of assets to trade, and adding Kuzma to their roster could give them a surprisingly competitive team in the shaky East.
A Kuzma Warriors Trade
The Warriors have been exploring options to solidify their forward rotation, and Kuzma is a possible fit. Golden State’s small-ball style of play would allow Kuzma to thrive as a scoring forward who can guard multiple positions. His size and ability to hit catch-and-shoot threes would complement the Warriors’ style of ball movement and three-point shooting. He also could be a nice fit in small-ball lineups next to Draymond Green at the center.
To get Kuzma, the Warriors would likely have to cut bait with some of their young talent. Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski are the highest-value young players they have. The Warriors, however, showed apprehension at trading them for even better players than Kuzma this summer. For this reason, it may be tough to make a Kuzma trade to the Warriors happen. The Warriors are also currently the number one seed, so maybe they don’t want to mess with what is working.
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