The Los Angeles Lakers may have the best record in the Western Conference right now, but there are still plenty of things that they need to improve on with their roster. Instead of playing the entire season with the current talent they have, most people believe that the Lakers should continue seeking roster upgrades in order to have a better chance of dominating the Western Conference and winning the NBA championship. According to Jason Reed of Fansided’s LA Sports Hub , one of the players that the Lakers could target before the February trade deadline is Bogdan Bogdanovic of the Sacramento Kings .
In the proposed trade deal by LA Sports Hub , the Lakers would send a trade package including Kyle Kuzma, Quinn Cook, and Troy Daniels to the Kings in exchange for Bogdanovic and a future second-round pick. The deal works on ESPN ‘s NBA Trade Machine. If the trade becomes a reality, it would help both teams in filling the needs on their roster.
As much as Lakers fans want to keep Kuzma, the 24-year-old power forward doesn’t seem to be the man that can help LeBron James and Anthony Davis carry the team back to title contention. Since returning from an injury, Kuzma has yet to live up to expectations as the Lakers’ “third superstar” and has been struggling to make himself fit in coach Frank Vogel’s system.
If they want to boost their chance of beating Western Conference powerhouse teams like the Los Angeles Clippers in a best-of-seven series, trading Kuzma for a player like Bogdanovic makes a lot of sense for the Lakers. Bogdanovic may not be an All-Star, but he would definitely make the Lakers a more competitive team this season. Aside from being a decent defender in the wing and perimeter, Bogdanovic would also give the Lakers a very reliable option on the offensive end of the floor.
“Bogdanovic is another reliable shooting wing for the Lakers that could log minutes at either the shooting guard or small forward position,” Reed wrote. “He is shooting 40.1 percent from beyond the arc this season and is averaging 14.6 points per game.”
If they have no intention of giving him a huge payday, it would be best for the Kings to trade Bogdanovic before the February trade deadline instead of losing him in free agency without getting anything in return.
In exchange for Bogdanovic, the Kings would be acquiring a young and promising talent in Kuzma, who would join their core of De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, and Marvin Bagley III. Being traded to the Kings would be very beneficial for Kuzma, as it would enable him to reunite with the man who mentored him in his first two years in the NBA, head coach Luke Walton.