The Los Angeles Lakers made a pretty shocking, and somewhat desperate, trade for Russell Westbrook this offseason. The team needed to improve from last season and Rob Pelinka made the boldest trade that he could have made.
There is a good chance that this trade pans out for the Lakers and that Westbrook proves to be a true addition, not someone who holds the team back. On the other hand, there is the chance that this blows up in the team’s face and sets them back for quite some time.
Let’s not even think about the latter.
The Washington Wizards acquired Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell and the 22nd overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft for Westbrook. That may not seem like the best trade return for a former MVP.
However, in the grand scheme of things, it is a big win for Washington. The Wizards flipped John Wall’s horrible contract for Westbrook and then was able to get off of his contract early. It seemed impossible that Washington would get out of that Wall contract and they have rather easily.
The three former Los Angeles Lakers are not a guarantee to stay with the Washington Wizards, though.
The Wizards are not in a place to contend for anything this season and if they can flip any of the assets they acquired from the Lakers, for the right price, then they should. That being said, it does not mean that the Lakers will trade Kuzma, KCP and Harrell. Some may stay, some may go.
Here are our predictions on which former Lakers will stay with Washington throughout the season and which will be on the move.
Kyle Kuzma: Not traded
Kyle Kuzma may have been disappointing on the Los Angeles Lakers but he is the best asset that the Washington Wizards acquired in this trade. That might make it seem more likely that the team will move him, but there really is no point for Washington to move off of Kuzma.
Kuzma is best included in a bigger package with more assets for a star, like the trade for Westbrook. They are not going to flip him for one older role player as that is not the position the team is in. It makes little sense for the Lakers to move off of Kuzma.
This is a chance for Kuzma to shine. He did not fit into the role that the Lakers were expecting and did not blossom as the third-best player on the team. In Washington, he is going to get a chance to play more where the stakes are not as high and be the second scorer on the team.
Bradley Beal obviously still runs the show but in a perfect world, for Washington and Kuzma, Kuzma can come out of the gates hot and score 20 points per game. If he can blossom into a true second scorer as a stretch four then Washington is going to love this trade.
Even if Kuzma does not reach that potential ceiling for the Wizards they still are not going to move Kuzma as there really is no reason to do so.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: Trade
Kyle Kuzma is definitely going to have trade value but because of his age and the perceived ceiling that he has he is likely not going to be dealt. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has similar trade value, albeit slightly less, and is more likely to be dealt because of his age and contract status.
KCP is who he is at this point in his career. He is a solid three and D two guard that can hit three-point shots at a 40% clip and can play pretty solid defense on the perimeter. He might be a tad inconsistent, which Laker fans know too well, but he is exactly what a contending team would want in a role player.
That is why he is likely going to be dealt. There is going to be some contending team that needs defense and three-point shooting and is going to give up an asset for KCP. The Wizards, meanwhile, can live without KCP as he is not part of the long-term future plans.
The Wizards are really deep when it comes to wings so trading KCP is a no-brainer for a team that is looking to compile young assets. If the Wizards can get a decent young player and a draft pick (on top of the contract that would have to be sent to match) then it would be a huge win for Washington.
We see role players like KCP get traded every single season and it is only a matter of time before he is yet again on the move.
Montrezl Harrell: Not traded
Montrezl Harrell is in an interesting situation in which he can raise his value in the NBA. Harrell was the runner-up for the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2020 and it appeared as if he was on his way to a decent payday.
However, the defensive concerns that were highlighted in the playoffs led to him only being worth a Mid-Level Exception contract from the Lakers. He did nothing to really increase his value last season, opting into the final year of his deal as a prove-it year.
Harrell is going to get a better chance to prove it on Washington and won’t have the bright lights of the playoffs to potentially shine too bright on his defensive miscues. In theory, he should be playing better this season, which would increase his trade value.
While Washington would be better off trading half a season of Harrell for an asset, I just do not see there being a suitor. Harrell’s defense is still a concern and he does not fit the modern NBA. He is an undersized center who makes a living near the rim, cannot space the floor and is a bad defender.
He is not what a modern-day NBA team wants out of a role player.
I cannot see there being any offers that will woo the Wizards, who instead will likely look to simply hold onto Harrell as the team will likely be making a playoff push with the play-in tournament still being implemented.