NBA Mock Trade: Thunder Acquire Lakers Forward Kyle Kuzma
With a loaded war chest of assets, the Oklahoma City Thunder have plenty of options for the future.
With 18 first round draft picks in the next 7 drafts, the Thunder will have the flexibility to grab any number of star-level players. The only question is who and for what timeline.
Aligning players with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the key.
Over the next few weeks, InsideTheThunder.com will be evaluating what it would take to land some of the top available talent in the NBA, and Kyle Kuzma could be a readily available talent, should OKC opt to take a look there.
Here are SI Thunder’s thoughts on what it will take to trade for the young forward:
Derek Parker: Despite the jury being out on Kuzma, I still believe he can be a more than valuable contributor. Kuzma averaged 20.3 points per 36 in his sophomore season, but hasn't had the necessary role since to thrive. A lanky, streaky shooter with a knack for getting the ball through the hoop, Kuzma could be worth giving a chance and fresh start to. The Lakers are in ultimate win-now mode with LeBron James, so getting a deal done could be tricky. Money-wise, a sign-and-trade would need to be done in order to make dealing Walker to LA work. More than likely unrealistic, Los Angeles trading for Walker leaves them extremely top heavy with two of their three stars injury prone.
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Thunder interested in trading for No. 1 overall pick
Nick Crain: Although he was drafted in 2017, Kyle Kuzma will be 26 next week. For a young Thunder team, it might not make the most sense to seek out a guy like Kuzma. That’s not to say OKC should build a team of only players in their early twenties, but they shouldn’t give up assets to take on a guy like Kuzma. With that in mind, if it’s a deal that involves flipping Kemba Walker and dumping that contract, a decent asset like Kuzma could be worth exploring.
Ryan Chapman: If Sam Presti is able to trade up in the draft to land his guy, adding Kyle Kuzma to the mix in Oklahoma City would be a smart move that still fits the Thunder's timeline. He's a better version of Darius Bazley, while still young enough to make an impact for years to come. And since the Lakers are reportedly interested in Kemba Walker, OKC would be able to get plenty of pieces back to meet Presti's goal of having an "arrival" back to the playoffs.
Oklahoma City's offer: Kemba Walker for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell
