NBA Rumors: LA Lakers Should Trade Kyle Kuzma For Devin Booker, According To ESPN Analyst
Since failing to acquire Kawhi Leonard in the 2019 NBA free agency, rumors have been circulating that the Los Angeles Lakers are searching for a third superstar who could help LeBron James and Anthony Davis bring the team back to title contention in the 2019-20 NBA season. The Lakers may have traded away plenty of assets to acquire Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans, but they still have interesting trade chips left on their roster, including Kyle Kuzma. Recently, Stephen A. Smith of ESPN suggested a crazy trade idea that would enable the Lakers to create their own “Big Three.”
In an appearance on ESPN’s First Take, via YouTube, Smith said that the Lakers could explore a trade package, including Kuzma, “a multitude of players,” and a “pick,” with the Phoenix Suns to acquire Devin Booker.
“I think they need a marksman,” Smith said, as transcribed by Arizona Sports. “If I could package Kuzma with a multitude of players and even a pick and I can get myself Devin Booker to join Anthony Davis and LeBron James, would I do that? Hell yes.”
Trading Kuzma for Booker is undeniably a no-brainer for the Lakers. Booker is one of the fastest rising superstars in the league. He would give the Lakers a very reliable scoring option in their backcourt. This season, the 23-year-old shooting guard is posting incredible numbers, averaging 26.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 6.4 assists while shooting 50.5 percent from the field and 36.1 percent from beyond the arc. His potential arrival in Los Angeles would enable the Lakers to add a third superstar that they have been looking for since the 2019 NBA offseason.
With the Suns once again expected to suffer another huge disappointment in the 2019-20 NBA season, Booker’s fans would definitely love to see him play for a legitimate title contender like the Lakers. It may be a dream for Booker to be the man that would end the Suns’ title drought, but he would undeniably be intrigued by the idea of playing alongside players of Davis and James’ caliber.
However, as of now, the potential deal that would send Booker to Los Angeles is highly unlikely to happen before the 2020 February NBA trade deadline. Kuzma may be an interesting acquisition for the Suns, but he wouldn’t be enough to convince them to give up Booker. Also, with the huge difference in the salaries of Booker and Kuzma, the Lakers would need to sacrifice the likes of Danny Green and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in the trade. Though Booker would give them a third superstar, losing Green and Caldwell-Pope in the process would negatively affect the Lakers’ depth and their performance on the defensive end of the floor.
