Recent Lakers rumors are that the New York Knicks have expressed an interest in Kyle Kuzma of the Los Angeles Lakers.
With the NBA Trade Deadline just days away, we are going to see a lot more Lakers rumors in the next few days.
Despite the Lakers being one of the best teams in the NBA, Rob Pelinka will be working the phones trying to improve the team. Even though the Lakers are title contenders with the roster they have now, there is always room for a team to improve.
Due to the Lakers lacking tradeable assets, Kyle Kuzma has frequently been the name mentioned in all trades involving the Lakers.
Recently, Shams Charania reported that the New York Knicks have expressed interest in Kuzma.
Knicks have had exploratory conversations on Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 4, 2020
This news comes shortly after the Knicks decided to let go of Steve Mills, as the team appears to be going in a different direction.
The Knicks are firing Steve Mills, source says.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 4, 2020
While the interest for the Knicks in Kuzma could be for a trade with just the Lakers, or potentially in a multi-team deal, Kuzma makes sense for New York. Since the Knicks are clearly not anywhere near a playoff contender, adding a young player like Kuzma, who has potential, makes sense.
Even though Kuzma has had a disappointing season for the Lakers, this was a player that just last year looked like he had the potential to be a 20-point per game player. However, this season, whether it be because of his role or early injuries, he hasn’t reached those numbers.
For the Lakers, the Knicks do have an appealing asset in Marcus Morris. With the Knicks this season, Morris is averaging 19.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. With a 3-point percentage over 43 percent this season, Morris would fit in nicely alongside James.
With the Knicks being the Knicks, it’s hard to know what direction they will be heading in before the deadline. However, they could be a potential trade partner for the Lakers with a desirable asset like Morris on the team.