Recent Lakers rumors are that they have removed Kyle Kuzma from trade talks with the New York Knicks.
With the trade deadline almost here, there have been plenty of Lakers rumors swirling around.
Since Andre Iguodala has been traded to the Miami Heat, all of the Lakers’ attention has appeared to switch to Marcus Morris of the New York Knicks.
Morris is an appealing player to target for the Lakers, as he is a good defender that can play multiple positions. Also, he is averaging nearly 20 points per game this season and is shooting the ball extremely well from behind the 3-point line.
The Lakers have prioritized adding players that can shoot 3-pointers and play defense around LeBron James. While the Lakers have been talking with the Knicks, they have reportedly taken Kyle Kuzma out of trade negotiations.
Knicks are in significant talks to move Marcus Morris to the Clippers for Moe Harkless and other assets, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. Lakers have informed Knicks that Kyle Kuzma has been removed from discussions, sources said.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 6, 2020
Since Kuzma is the best asset that the Lakers have, this will likely end the possibility of Morris coming to the Lakers. Since Morris is making a good amount of money, the Lakers would have likely had to part with Danny Green and Kuzma in order to get him. If this was the price, it is something that would have just been too steep to meet the demands of the Knicks.
If the Morris deal is indeed dead with the Lakers, the Clippers would appear to be the new front-runner. With the contract of Maurice Harkless, a first-round pick, and some young fill-in players, they might be able to add Morris.
Since the Lakers were limited with their salary cap and remaining assets, making a deal for a player like Morris was going to be extremely difficult. Parting with a young player like Kuzma is not an easy decision, as moving him would have been the Lakers putting all of their chips on the table for the short-term.
If the Lakers aren’t willing to move Kuzma in a deal with the Knicks, he should be safe as we approach the trade deadline.