While they are trying to unload two of their big men, the Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly interested in acquiring New York Knicks sweet-shooting forward Mindaugas Kuzminskas via trade. According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, expect the Lakers to pursue Kuzminskas, who played just one game with the Knicks this season, if he becomes available. Berman said four teams were interested in Kuzminskas when he joined the NBA last season, including the Knicks, Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Atlanta Hawks. He eventually signed a two-year deal worth $5.9 million with the Knicks last season.
Berman said the Knicks need to create a roster spot in mid-November when center Joakim Noah returns from a 20-game suspension due to substance abuse.
According to Berman, Kuzminskas has talked to his agent, who is now gauging the interest for him around the league. Last season, the 28-year-old Kuzminskas averaged 6.3 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 68 games, with five starts last season. He also made 43 percent of his shots from the field and 32 percent from beyond the arc. The Lakers are planning to trade two of their big men, Julius Randle and Luol Deng. If they do, the Lakers could make a run at Kuzminskas, who could provide instant offense for them, like he did in April last season for the Knicks, where he averaged 10.5 points during that stretch.
Randle’s future with Lakers still unclear
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Randle is facing an uncertain future with the Lakers after he was relegated to the bench earlier this season. The Lakers are currently using rookie Kyle Kuzma as a starter with Randle as backup after Larry Nance Jr. injured his hand. Wojnarowski said the Lakers are contemplating whether to trade Randle between now and the February trade deadline for a first-round pick or wait until he becomes a restricted free agent in the summer.
If they wait until the summer, they risk losing Randle without getting anything in return. The Lakers are trying to unload some pricey contracts in an effort to create huge salary cap room for next season so they can pursue big-name players from the free-agent market.
Luol Deng wants trade or buyout
The Lakers are also trying to deal with Deng’s request for a trade or buyout.
Deng’s contract was considered one of the biggest mistakes during the reign of general manager Mitch Kupchak, who signed the veteran to a four-year, $72-million deal in 2016, which prevented the Lakers from getting some key pieces in the offseason because of the lack of salary cap space due to Deng’s contract.
