Los Angeles Lakers: 3 possible trade packages for Derrick Rose

By Jason Reed | Oct 19, 2020

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 05: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope #1 of the Los Angeles Lakers gets past a pick set by Christian Wood #35 of the Detroit Pistons while guarding Derrick Rose #25 of the Detroit Pistons in the second half at Staples Center on January 5, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. Lakers won 106-99. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images) /

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(Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

Trade scenario #1:

Before you head to ESPN’s NBA Trade Machine, the salary figures are not yet updated for next season. Kyle Kuzma is getting a significant raise in pay that is going to make a Rose trade easier to manuver and we promise that we did the math and that this works out.

Kuzma is the most likely piece to be sent to Detroit for Derrick Rose. He was the player that was being shopped at the NBA Trade Deadline and he is the best young asset that the Lakers have to trade.

This might not seem like all that great of a trade return for the Pistons but they are getting a good return. They get young talent in Kuzma that they can extend past next season and build a young core with Kuzma, Luke Kennard and others and new cap space once Blake Griffin’s contract expires.

This is not prime Derrick Rose and it is only one season of Rose. Getting a young asset like Kuzma is absolutely a great return for a team like the Pistons. They also get a three-point specialist in Quinn Cook that is an expiring contract as well as a future second-round pick, which is a nice additive but isn’t something that moves the needle either way.

Sure, the Lakers are trading a young asset in Kuzma but Kuzma is only guaranteed to be on the team for one more year. The Lakers may not match another team’s offer to Kyle Kuzma like the Detroit Pistons can.

Plus, Kuzma is from Flint, Michigan — an hour north of Detroit.

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