NBA Rumors: Lakers Could Acquire Derrick Rose For Kyle Kuzma & JaVale McGee, Per ‘Lake Show Life’
According to a recent list of trade ideas, the Los Angeles Lakers could further upgrade their backcourt rotation by acquiring Derrick Rose from the Detroit Pistons for forward Kyle Kuzma and center JaVale McGee.
As explained by Fansided’s Lake Show Life, the Lakers could add yet another point guard to their roster following their acquisition of Dennis Schroder from the Oklahoma City Thunder. With Rajon Rondo, Avery Bradley, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope all heading into free agency or having the choice to opt-out of the final year of their contracts, Los Angeles could lose up to three backcourt players in the ongoing offseason. As such, the outlet suggested making a move for Rose, who has been linked to the Lakers multiple times in trade rumors.
Talking about how the proposed transaction could help the Lakers, the publication predicted that the team could have a “point guard tandem” of Schroder and Rose in the starting lineup, which would allow Alex Caruso to play two-guard. It was also noted that the package featuring Kuzma and McGee — who are both Michigan natives — would likely be sufficient to convince the Pistons to part ways with the former league MVP.
“This is absolutely enough to land Rose as the Pistons are not going to get much for one year of Rose’s services, even if he was really solid last year. Detroit would be getting a hometown forward that could be locked down for the long-term and help the team start their process of building towards the future.”
Although Lake Show Life cautioned that McGee will need to opt into the final year of his contract in order for the hypothetical move to work out, the site stressed that he might have to do so anyway, considering how he probably won’t get a more lucrative offer in the free-agent market.
Despite mostly coming off the bench for the Pistons in the 2019-20 campaign, Rose averaged 18.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 5.6 rebounds and shot 49 percent from the field in just 26 minutes per game, per Basketball-Reference. His outside shooting, however, was one of his primary statistical weaknesses, as he shot just 30.6 percent from beyond the arc and made less than one three-point shot per contest.
Aside from Rose, there have been other backcourt standouts who have been recommended as possible offseason acquisitions for the Lakers. Yesterday, The Inquisitr reported on a separate trade idea that would allow the defending NBA champions to land Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum in exchange for Kuzma, Caldwell-Pope, Bradley, and Quinn Cook.
