Los Angeles Lakers Receive: F PJ Tucker, HOU 2024 2nd Round Pick

Houston Rockets Receive: F Kyle Kuzma, G Alex Caruso

After trading away Russell Westbrook and James Harden, the Houston Rockets are facing a rebuilding process, the only question that remains is how quick of a rebuild will this be? They were able to acquire Victor Oladipo for Caris LeVert as part of the 4-team James Harden deal, but with veteran talents like PJ Tucker and Eric Gordon on their roster, time will tell if the Rockets will look to clean house and acquire as much young talent/draft picks as they can. 

With the “Houston Rockets’ Garage Sale” going on, PJ Tucker being traded would make a lot of sense on Houston’s end of things. He is now 35-years old and does not have many years left in the NBA. His value is as high as it can be right now and if they are able to acquire Caruso and Kuzma for him, that would be a big win for Houston moving forward.

Alex Caruso has been a fantastic role player for the Lakers and played a big part in them being NBA Champions last year. While his numbers may not show it, Caruso does all the little things for the Lakers to help them win games. From playing pesty defense, to hustling on every play, to making the extra pass to his open teammates, Caruso is a guy that is beloved in the Lakers’ locker room and could be a solid rotation guy in Houston.

In three years with the Lakers, Kyle Kuzma has been fantastic, averaging about 16.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and shooting 33.4% from three-point range. With Christian Wood and DeMarcus Cousins in the front court, Kuzma is a combo-forward that could bring a lot of energy off the bench for the Rockets moving forward.

PJ Tucker is available from the Houston Rockets for the right price and he would have more of an impact on the Lakers’ chances of winning back-to-back titles than Kuzma or Caruso would individually. Let’s take a look at why this trade would benefit both the Lakers and the Rockets.