Over the last few days, there have been multiple reports of the Sacramento Kings and the Los Angeles Lakers flirting with a Buddy Hield for Kyle Kuzma swap, and according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, those talks have recently stepped up in intensity.
“Multiple reports have indicated that the Lakers are interested in a deal for Buddy, and with fewer than 24 hours until the 2021 draft, multiple league sources say Los Angeles has stepped up their efforts by adding the no. 22 pick to a deal that’d include Montrezl Harrell, and Kyle Kuzma or Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Hield to L.A. now has real traction…”
The Lakers willingness to include Kuzma and the 22nd overall pick in Thursday night’s draft is indicative of both the Lakers desperation to add shooting and Sacramento’s strong position in the negotiations. Sacramento doesn’t absolutely need to trade Hield at the moment, nor do they especially need to trade him to a division rival, but the same casual attitude cannot be held by Los Angeles. After a disappointing postseason in which the Lakers shot the second-worst three-point percentage in the playoffs, Rob Pelinka is under pressure from his superstars to add more help, and Buddy is the best volume shooter available. Simply put, the Lakers need Hield more than the Kings need to trade him. And that’s when things start to get expensive for L.A.
From Sacramento’s perspective, the addition of Montrezl Harrell, who needs to opt into the final year of his contract before the deal can be consummated, would instantly provide the Kings another elite pick-and-roll threat. Harrell could also act as an insurance policy against Richaun Holmes’ pending free agency, and even if Holmes were to return, Harrell could come off of the bench as an immediate scoring threat.
Kyle Kuzma is another interesting asset for the Kings. Although he’s never seemed to reach his full potential in L.A., Kuzma would still provide an above-average defensive forward who is closer to De’Aaron Fox’s and Tyrese Haliburton’s timeline, and he would also replace Marvin Bagley in the starting lineup, who is assumed to be headed to another team before the start of next season.
The final piece of the puzzle, a late first round draft pick, would provide Sacramento with a whole lot of flexibility heading into Thursday evening. The Kings could use the 9th and 22nd picks to move up, they could leverage both to trade for a win-now veteran, or they could simply choose to add two cheap rotational players in a deep draft. For a small-market team with limited options in free agency, opening up multiple trade avenues is a key move toward a brighter future.
One final wrinkle mentioned by O’Connor is that the Lakers newest package, as attractive as it may seem, may not even be the best offer out there for Hield’s services. The Philadelphia 76ers have also been linked to Hield recently, and any shooter of Buddy’s caliber is going to attract attention from multiple teams on the trade market. Suffice it to say that Monte McNair may have read the room very correctly when he held onto Hield at the trade deadline.
I hope he can squeeze anyone who takes him off our hands. But as with everything with this team until it’s written in blood I believe nothing.
Dont be so melodramatic, nothing is official with any team until it becomes official.
It is the negotiating partner that blinks first that loses.
Now we got to squeeze LAL for THT, the guy has STAR QUALITY.
Buddy is a Top 5 NBA shooter. Kuzma is a negative asset, toxic presence on the floor. Harrell is duplicative to Holmes and in a steep production decline.
You can debate the vercaity of this, but rhis has to be our negotiating stance to get THT.
Talen Horton Tucker is 2X the talent of Bad Moody. You don’t think McGenius knows this?!
THT and the #22 pick, get er done!
Like KOC says in the article, the Kings have the leverage here, McNair should be attempting to extract all the value possible.
I read somewhere that Lakers had to wait until draft day to be able to trade their pick ( because they had traded future first rounders) so I’m thinking maybe this is done and can’t be announced until tomorrow.
It’s correct that they wouldn’t be able to complete the trade until after the draft because of the Stepien Rule, but they could agree to the trade in principle and then Woj or whoever would report it.
They would also likely be waiting until on or after August 2nd if Kuzma is involved, because he has a poison pill provision until then.
The most likely hurdle is waiting for Harrell to opt into his contract, which would need to happen before he can be included in the deal.
If McNair can pull off a deal like this or even something with a little more value from another team that would be a huge win IMO. I don’t love Kuzma but he might be a better fit for the Kings than the Lakers.
For better or worse, he and Walton seem to like each other.
I hear good franchises have synergy. Just saying.
I don’t think McNair is targeting Kuzma just because Walton likes him.
I don’t love Kuzma either. This deal frees up so many other possibilities though. They need all the possibilities they can get. If Buddy and Bagley stay, this team cannot change much on the roster.
McNair is at least getting a decent return for Hield.
Out the door?
I’m amazed Buddy’s value is this high. not that I like Kuzma or think he has much value but i assumed they’d have to give up something to get off Buddy’s deal. Even if Harrell plans on walking I’d probably do it.
Yeah I would take Kuzma, Pope, and the 22 pick.
That’s because you’ve listened to much to the negative posters here. Only a handful of people here have been trying to say that he still has decent value.
Looking at the Ben Simmons offer that was presented to the Spurs as unrealistic, this trade could really give the Kings some ammo. I think you could offer, with a straight face
It would take a 3 team trade to get it done without the re-trade waiting period.
Probably not likely to happen, but the point is that you’re gaining assets and balancing the roster. Can’t hate it.
I like that energy but let’s wait to see if they can not fuck up the initial trade before we trade the trade.
If we can seriously get Kuzma, Insert player, and 22¦ book it and send me the check in the mail please¦that would be a steal
Signing up for Uber rn, I’ll give Buddy a hometown discount. $0.01 per mile to get him to LA by breakfast!
If Monte can pull this off. That will be one heck of kickoff to the off-season.
I’d imagine bagley will be hard to deal given his 11 mil owed plus 14 mil qualifying offer. He’s nothing more than a salary dump at this point which will not just yield the kings nothing but likely cost them something. Okc is the only team that really makes sense to take him on but will obviously cost them that 22 pick if/when they get it from the Lakers
Whatever it takes. Time to move on.
Nope, you sound just like everyone else about having to pay teams to take on buddy.
If they move on from bags it’ll be because Monte got something decent for him.
There is a good reasons why the posters are not GMs. Many here would have traded Buddy and Bagel for a sack of rocks and a stick of gum. While Bagel’s time may be done here, he still is young and will develop, if he grows up some.
Yep, even if it did take an additional asset to move Bagley, it would be stupid to do it. If you can’t move him, just chain him to the bench or waive him.
I found this Bagley trade idea intriguing
Poeltl has true center size, very good paint defense. Offensively the only thing Poeltl does reasonably well is set picks and finish at the rim. If Richaun returns (I hope so, on a reasonable deal) the paint might be clogged with both of them playing, but perhaps Richaun redisovers some of the range he flashed in Philly.
My wife and kids are going out of town for the day, so I have all day to just update Hoopshype every 15 minutes and indulge in rumors that are 90% BS until draft time. Draft Day is the highlight of any Kings fan season. Hope springs eternal…
What do they know about Kuzma that I don’t? And, hopefully it’s a precursor to something else.
That’s assuming this deal gets pulled off.
I’ll drive Kuzma and Montrezl to the airport and pick Buddy up!
Haha this guy, taking one for the team
If the Kings keep the 22nd pick, LSU’s Cameron Thomas (see SPTSJUNKIE’s Draft guide) could recoup some of that lost firepower that’s going out the door with Buddy.
Can this guy from LSU dribble? Does he attempt to play defense?
If this trade happens and we get the 22nd pick, my bet would be on Trey Murphy as the pick.
DO IT!
Less than 24 hours to go….
Reports are gonna get crazy.
I hope the deals tomorrow will turn out decent and McNair’s track record so far has given me hope. I just think this is so stupid-Vlade gave Hield a bloated contract and then hired a coach to magnify his weaknesses and now we have to trade him under these unfavorable circumstances
I would be more excited about KCP coming over in the deal than Harrell. I know the King’s need to beef up the front court but Harrell would most likely only be on the roster for a year.
People are saying this fits both team’s needs, but I don’t think that’s the case given the time horizons on the contracts. That said, this feels very much like a “grass is always greener” trade proposal.
We are getting close, now add THT and we got a deal!
McGenius is doing work, the Doomers are in full retreat mode, and yesterday the fan base was ready settle Kuzma and Harrell?!
Kuzma is a toxic player, a negative asset, until proven otherwise; Harrell is in steep decline and duplicative if and when we bring back Holmes.
God please let us get that #22 pick and Isaiah Jackson fall to #22 (BOOM!)
With the #9, the Kings take Kai Jones (BOOM!)
This is going to be a great day, I feel it my bones!
Holy cow, if those were the two picks after this trade I might throw up¦Luckily there is no way your boy McGenius would do that.
Even Vlade wouldn’t do that¦I think
Am I the only one that thinks that reporting looks odd? It seems to indicate they are talking about the #22 plus Harrell, with either Kuzma or KCP added in.
Is it possible that the Lakers are willing to include the 22, but not the 22 AND Kuzma?
I interpreted it as Harrell, 22 and choice of Kuz or KCP, since they have about equal salary. The choice part may not be accurate, but salary wise either could work hence the wording. That was my guess.
Agreed. Just seems odd, since to this point it feels like Kuzma has been sold as the centerpiece of the deal from the Lakers side.
I keep wondering what the agenda of these sources are.
Kuzma isn’t very good, so in my mind the original deal was mostly salary dump. The 22 adds a real asset. Not sure if the Lakers can absorb Buddy’s salary without sending out two players? That would be ideal in my mind. Any one of the three and the 22 and I’ll take that deal.
Oh, I’m no fan of Kuzma. The real assets would be the 22 and any long term salary savings. But player-wise of the three noted, you could squint and say that maybe Kuzma has some ceiling still.
Personally, I’d be down for a Fox-Simmons trade, hanging onto Buddy and working on a separate Siakim deal. This Lakers deal, as stated currently, doesn’t really move the needle a huge amount.
SELL! SELL! SELL!
C’mon Monte!
It’s funny because so many commenters and guys like BabyG kept harping about how Buddy has no value lol. Kuzma, Harrell and #22 are a lot of value IMO.
How about we wait and see if and when a trade even happens before we point fingers, and that’s if one even thinks it’s ok to point fingers.
That’s not a lot of value necessarily, but probably fair. We’d be giving up the best player in the deal for a lottery ticket and some cap savings.
And it’s not even cap savings for this year. For me it’s more about breaking Buddy’s expensive contract into 3 more movable parts.
I’d do the deal but the notion people keep spouting that Kuzma is good at NBA basketball is just puzzling.
Like Luke Walton the head coach, the dude’s actual performance just can’t shake the initial over-hype!
I think the take that kuzma is trash at NBA basketball is a puzzling take. Especially at his age and contact status.
Have you actually looked at his numbers? What does he do well that’s supported by objective data?
I care not about him being a Laker or having stupid hair. His stats are what they are and they aren’t good and haven’t improved with experience.
Monte seems to be having a legit shot at redemption after losing Bogi for nothing.
I said it a few days ago, this FA/Trade period is big for Monte to show the fan base he knows what he is doing.
Glad Buddy has some value (it seemed ppl scoffed at Buddy for a 1st), let’s get it Monte!
Seems Lakers is also looking at Net’s Landry Shamet, so perhaps no Buddy Bye-Bye?
This is one thing that concerns me. There are lots of good 3pt shooters in the NBA today that make far less money then Buddy. I could easily see other teams reading these rumors of Buddy to the Lakers and think they could make a trade with them as well. What’s to stop the Lakers from trading for a player that is not as good as Buddy but costs them way less.
The Lakers are trying to win a title. They need a guy like Buddy, not 65 percent of Buddy (that’s basically KCP).
I still think they can get damn near his production for far less in both contract and trade. Lakers are cap strapped and need more than Buddy at his contract. Utah, as an example, is apparently shopping Ingles and Bogdanovic. They make less than Buddy and would cost the Lakers less in trade.
I don’t think Ingles or bogdanovic would come cheaper than buddy in trade value. Utah would argue that those two are playoff tested.
I keep hearing Buddy to Philly as a possibility as well, but what is the Philly deal? I know it’s not Simmons based, so is it a pick + Maxey or Thybulle?
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