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It’s been a year since the Los Angeles Lakers and Washington Wizards finalized a trade that sent Russell Westbrook to the former and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell and Kyle Kuzma to the latter. The trade ended up not helping either team as neither of them had winning records nor went to the playoffs. The Lakers have been trying to trade Westbrook for months and it appears Washington is considering trading some of the pieces they received from the trade.
The Wizards are in danger of losing star guard Bradley Beal this offseason. They need to figure out how to make the team an appealing spot for him to stay. That could require them to make a big move or two. According to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, Kuzma and Caldwell-Pope have been available on the trade block this offseason:
The Pacers have most consistently discussed Brogdon trades with the Knicks and Wizards ahead of Thursday’s NBA draft, sources said, but there’s a strong sense of skepticism from league officials that Brogdon would actually be moved to either Washington or New York in a package centered around the No. 10 or No. 11 pick.
The Wizards have been willing to discuss Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in trade conversations, sources said.
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Lakers Would Love to Get KCP or Kuzma Back
Caldwell-Pope and Kuzma weren’t always the most consistent players for the Lakers. They’d have some high highs and low lows. However, they always gave a lot of effort to the defensive side of the court. That’s something the Lakers desperately needed last season but didn’t have.
If they could do things over, they’d almost certainly keep Caldwell-Pope and Kuzma over Westbrook. Though the Lakers don’t have great trade assets, they should keep an eye on the situation in Washington. If the Indiana Pacers trade the Wizards are eyeing doesn’t materialize, Los Angeles should see how much it would take to get Caldwell-Pope. He’s exactly the type of player the Lakers need. Kuzma would be a good addition, too, but Caldwell-Pope is a more seamless fit.
Lakers Acquire 2nd-Round Pick
This offseason, Lakers vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka has been working to get the team back in the draft. They didn’t have any picks to work with due to a number of trades in recent years. Fortunately for Los Angeles, they were able to make it happen.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Lakers are giving the Orlando Magic a future second-round pick and cash for the No. 35 overall pick in this year’s draft.
The Lakers have done a great job finding players later in the draft in recent years. Players like Kuzma, Talen Horton-Tucker and Ivica Zubac were not high draft picks but have put together strong careers after getting drafted by Los Angeles. It remains to be seen if the Lakers are eyeing a specific player or acquired the pick to help add possible trade assets. Regardless, it’s a solid pick for the team to land without having to give up any valuable assets.
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