Los Angeles Lakers Receive: G Buddy Hield, SAC 2021 2nd Round Pick (Pick #39)
Sacramento Kings Receive: F Kyle Kuzma, C Montrezl Harrell (Player Option)
Kyle Kuzma is a player the Lakers are definitely interested in moving on from in the offseason, but they do not want to just give him up for anything. The Lakers believe that they can get a really solid, third key contributor-like talent out of Kuzma in trade talks, which is why a trade for Buddy Hield may not be exactly what they have in mind.
While he is definitely a talented young player, Kuzma’s trade value is definitely not at the same level as an All-Star-level talent in this league, which is why they will have to come down on their price if they want to move on from him this offseason.
Trading Kuzma, as well as Montrezl Harrell definitely has some perks for the Lakers though, which is why they could decide to pursue this trade. Starting with Hield, he has spent the last 4.5 seasons of his career in Sacramento and has played quite well.
In 330 total games with the Kings, Buddy Hield has averaged 17.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and has shot 40.9% from three-point range. During the regular season, the Lakers ranked 21st in three-point shooting percentage and they really do not have guys that you look at on their roster and view as legit three-point threats, which is why Hield is a valuable trade target for them.
READ MORE: Predictions for Latest NBA Trade Rumors: Lillard, LaVine, Simmons, Sexton
We talked about Kyle Kuzma’s future with the Lakers, but Montrezl Harrell’s future is very much up-in-the-air at this point. He barely played near the end of the 2020-21 season and in the postseason, which is why the former Sixth-Man of the Year could be on the move.
The only catch to moving Harrell is that he does have a $9.7M player option for the 2021-22 season, meaning that the Lakers probably could not trade him until he was to potentially opt into his contract.
Basically, Harrell would have to in order to make a trade like this work because why would Sacramento trade for Harrell only to have him become a free agent?
READ MORE: Predictions for Latest NBA Trade Rumors: Lillard, LaVine, Simmons, Sexton
If the Kings are to make a trade like this and move on from Buddy Hield, not only will they want to obtain a young frontcourt talent like Kyle Kuzma, but they would want to have Harrell under contract for next season as a back-up plan in case Richaun Holmes was to sign elsewhere in free agency.
Both teams in this deal definitely have value to gain from this trade, but let’s take a look to see if this is a trade that truly makes sense for both the Los Angeles Lakers and the Sacramento Kings.
