With the trade deadline rapidly approaching, the New York Knicks have, reportedly, had talks with the Lakers about Kyle Kuzma.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers have had “exploratory talks” about third-year forward Kyle Kuzma.
Kuzma, 24, is a gifted scorer, but he hasn’t quite meshed with the new-look Lakers. He’s averaging career-lows in points (13.0), rebounds (4.2), assists (1.0), and field goal percentage (.432). It’s also worth noting that his minutes are down as well.
The Knicks and Lakers have already played each other twice this season, with Kuzma scoring 16 and 10 in those games, both Lakers wins.
It’s unclear what the Knicks would have to package in a swap for Kuzma and moreover, it’s not exactly clear what the phrase “exploratory talks” means in terms of getting a deal done.
To make this entire situation even more confusing, the Knicks are reassigning former team president Steve Mills. In the meantime, general manager Scott Perry will take over day-to-day basketball operations.
The decision was announced on Tuesday morning and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that Mills was on the phone negotiating potential trades as recently as Monday. Will that affect any potential deal involving Kuzma? It’s difficult to know with any certainty.
The trade deadline is set for Thursday, Feb. 6, and in all likelihood, the Knicks will make a few moves before this is all said and done. Although the front-office shakeup is coming at a strange time, the Knicks are still expected to be active before Thursday’s trade deadline passes.
