The Lakers talked to the Pistons about a Derrick Rose trade before the February deadline, and a deal is more likely now that the offseason has arrived, according to Sean Deveney of Heavy.
The teams never got close to reaching an agreement, Deveney adds. L.A. offered Alex Caruso and a draft pick, but Detroit was asking for Kyle Kuzma. He adds that even if the Lakers were willing to part with Kuzma, the Pistons may not have said yes. Rose wanted to stay in Detroit, and the front office believed Rose’s trade value would rise after the season ended.
The 32-year-old guard is under contract for one more year at $7.68MM. He averaged 18.1 points and 5.6 assists in 50 games this season, mostly as a reserve.
“I think both sides were reluctant when they went into in January, February,” an unidentified general manager told Deveney. “I don’t think the Lakers wanted to make a major move because they thought they could do something on the buyout market. And I don’t think the Pistons wanted to make a major move because Derrick was happy there. You know, the Lakers wanted to be involved in case the Clippers got involved or someone else, the Bucks or the Nuggets, whoever. So there was interest but not too serious. Now, everything has shifted a little. Now, they’re both in a position to where a deal is much more likely.”
The Lakers addressed their backcourt depth by signing Dion Waiters and J.R. Smith, but neither saw much playing time in Orlando. The team is in need of guard help again as Rajon Rondo and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are both opting out of their deals for next season. Deveney notes that Rondo may return if he’s willing to accept a one-year contract, but Caldwell-Pope wants a longer deal that the Lakers may not be willing to offer.
Detroit has taken steps toward rebuilding since those winter trade talks and may be more comfortable with giving up Rose. The Pistons traded Andre Drummond to the Cavaliers at the deadline and reached buyout agreements with Reggie Jackson and Markieff Morris.
Deveney believes the Lakers may be more inclined to move Kuzma now because he’s headed for restricted free agency next offseason. The team is preserving cap flexibility for the 2021 offseason to potentially add another impact player, and giving Kuzma a rookie-scale extension would interfere with that plan.
As injury-prone as Rose has been, I would welcome any trade that sends Kuzma away.
Agreed.. kuzma either became a dumb non winning player or his game is so selfish that he thrives on a bad team..either way, he needs to be gone.. sure he can get pts 1 out of 4 games but how many will he give up on defense?
Kuz has gotten a lot better on defense, and was a solid role player in the lakers run. He’s not the third star but he’s a good as a wing off the bench and he could get better. Selling him off for Rose is selling low.
Clown comment. Rose is 8 years older than Kuzma.
He is actually 7 years but that changes nothing.
You missed the point which is that Kuzma is a negative on the court
Why cause of his plus minus lmao. Trading Kuzma for Rose is a terrible idea. Heck trading Caruso for him was a bad idea.
The point wasn’t trading for Rose. It was removing Kuzma. You are missing that.
Should have been obvious to any adult, quite frankly.
Ok armchair GM, go ahead and give Kuzma away for much less than what he is worth… There is a reason many teams have interest in him. He is not a star or anything and I wouldn’t be surprised if he was traded…. but your comments are ridiculous. Maybe try and have a little common sense when evaluating the player instead of basing your takes off nonsense. He is an erratic player at times but acting like he does more harm than good is a clown comment.
Negative? Hah. Kuzma has never been a negative in his career. The only reason that he has not shined like people that he would was because lebron and ad took the court. .
Kuzma’s box plus minus has been negative in each of his 3 seasons. He has had a negative on-off split in 2 of his 3 seasons. So what do you mean when you say he is not a negative?
Wait…. are the Lakers looking for young talent? Or a proven difference maker? Because Kuzma is neither of those.
Keep this in mind regarding Kuzma. He was one if the young lakers that basically run and gunned. He is the last young guy standing and had to remake who he was on the court
Rose for Kuzma straight up? Would think the Pistons may even need to toss a 2nd over to LAL
No way. It’s the potential of getting a solid number 3 for LA, in Rose, for his cheap $7.68 left on the contract. They have no chance to get someone similar for that cash. We already know what Kuzma is too.
I doubt the Pistons would need to include a pick to balance it. If anything the Lakers might have to send over a 2nd.
Straight up, it’s got the makings of a fair deal, though. Both *can* be good, but both come with serious questions.
Numbers don’t match.
Rose would be great for the Lakers if they want a guy very likely to be injured and unavailable when they need him most ‘
I’m don’t think Rose is a upgrade over Rondo. Are they planning to have both? Rose sounds a lot like Aaron Judge injured and unavailable
He’d be a lot better then rondo in the regular season but come playoff time until proven otherwise it will be playoff rondo where as rose is unavailable and in street clothes
The Lakers should definitely keep Rondo. He was very valuable once he got healthy
I honestly thought he was done when he landed in Cleveland but have been surprised to see his spiral reverse. What changed? Solely his health?
Rose did well as an individual force there, but had almost no assists, had no sync with LJ, and got depressed. He had to fit in and he wasn’t used to that.
In LA he would replace Rondo, which is keeping the team rolling when LJ is out. It’s a backup job but he’s now a backup in Detroit already even at 21 PER.
Apparently the Lakers can’t fit everyone by CBA rules.
The last GM liked Rose as a veteran leader but they have a new GM now. People don’t get the value of having players of different ages. The next step after paying to deal away Rose & Griffin will be paying to bring in some role models.
Rondo and KCP have opt out
If
Clippers offer 2 years 12 million to Rondo
KCP wants 4 years deals at 50 million
What should the Lakers do?
Lakers are likely offer 5.72 million to Howard
KCP is 28 years old next season
If he signs one year dear now
His next contract with other team will be 29一33
Value decreases
If Lakers give KCP one year deal at 16 million and give Howard 5.7 million then Lakers need to pay luxury tax
Assume that Morris and Rondo opt out for less money
The purpose of Rondo opt out is to get Vets Min
No way lakers give kcp an extension, unless of course they somehow move Danny green. If they move Danny, javale, cook that frees up 21 million which would allow lakers to resign some players from last year like morris, cousins, rondo, kcp.
Only 5 young teams have cap space
At age 33 next season Green maybe too old
If they do get Rose, they need front court help. They’d have Bradley, Caruso, and Rose.
Probably sending Kuzma and Cook for Rose.
And using Greens 15.36M in a trade with their 1st.
Bobby Portis, Thad Toung, RoCo that’s the contract range they can afford.
So is Rose and Portis or Thad Young that better than packaging Kuzma, Green, Cook, and their 1st for Victor Oladipo? That would be the premise of the trade.
I would take Victor, but I think the Pacers would want more than that.
Once again why are teams continuing to help LeBron win. Stop making any trades to help him out. Teams should be tired of him winning.
GMs aren’t gifting players to LBJ, they are taking back assets to improve their team. Kuzma, Green, a 1st, and prob something else is a good return. And it’s a team in the West. Someone else will have to beat that offer. Dipo and Turner are goners in Indy.
Either one should get more. GM Pritchard has a history to reference and Danny Green doesn’t fit.
Caruso maybe.
Danny Green Kuzma and 28th pick for Oladipo
I think the Pacers hang up.
Don’t think they can trade 1st round pic this year.
Danny Green and Avery Bradley? JR Smith and Waiters – need to get them off the team. Kouzma for Rose is fair, but would Rose do well and perform the same if Lebron is the true point guard on the team?
Lakers should pursue Tyreke Evans at point. He’s been putting up work and ready to return to the league. Rose to lakers will become complicated…
After acquiring Rose，let Rondo go?
Rondo is likely want money
Kyle Kuzma and Quinn Cook for DRose
Then sign DJ Augustine in free agency for a cheap (1year, 5mil)
Trade Danny Green and a second round pick for Gary Harris. Sign Carmelo Anthony in free agency for the vets minimum.
Then lastly bring back Dwight Howard and Markeiff Morris
1. Rose. Augustine. Caruso
2. Bradley. Harris. THT
3. James. Anthony
4. Davis. Morris
5. Howard. McGee
Danny Green and a 2nd round draft pick ain’t getting Gary Harris
Could do…
Firstly it gets some more cap space for the Nuggets who look like they may need it to resign Grant Plumblee and Morris.
Secondly in the playoffs the Nuggets were amazing but what they lacked was a typical 3 and D vet on the wing like Danny Green. He would be great for that team. Plus they Nuggets are great at picking late talents so adding a second should be a nice addition
Green has that experience that they lack, is a better defender, saves them money and is probably a better three point shooter.
Rose wasn’t a good fit with LBJ in Cleveland, but the Lakers could use another facilitator if only to reduce the load on LBJ. Rondo stepped up in the playoffs, but it’s still the Lakers’ biggest weakness.
Trading Kuzma is smart, BUT not for 2021 FA. Beal (signed) and GA (numbers) won’t be signed as FAs by the Lakers. Maybe saying its for that reason is a good way to offer a multi-year deal without the league knowing its because you don’t want him longer term.
Why would Detroit send Rose to LA when they could send him to Miami for a first? Miami definitely doesn’t want their 1st rounder this year (trying to clear cap space for next season), so they could send him to Detroit for Rose. Detroit gets the 1st rounder they wanted all along, Miami gets a difference maker on a 1 year deal, maximizing cap space.
Milwaukee and Dallas could have interest too, depending on how Detroit feels about taking back a longer contract.
I don’t think LA has the pieces to get Rose if/when Detroit makes him available. There will be better offers from other teams.
3 of 4 following players could walk for nothing if they don’t want pay cut
Rondo
Morris
Howard
Bradley – opt out is possible
Bradley Beal is not a free agent in 2021. Plus the Lakers aren’t getting a max free agent that summer, regardless if Kuzma signs an extension, once they max AD. Don’t think they’ll have the cap room for a max player, plus why would any player who can get a max want to play under LeBron and AD when they could run a team elsewhere?
That last paragraph in HR^… it was in the link but it’s not clear whose opinion that even was. But it is not supported nor even correct in Beal’s case. It would be true if Lebron opts out. But thete’s been no talk of a third max on the Lakers.
Kuzma has been exposed. He was abused on D. LA would be better off getting value for him now. Still under rookie contract. Rose contract and Kuzma don’t match. They would have to get creative. KCP I Don think is coming back. Lakers not going to pay that. I doubt anyone will. He should of kept his one yr. Lakers can use Kuzma n Green to get a young vet. I don’t think Bron wants Kuzma back. Lakers have a chance to make a deal. It’s all about next two yrs for them right.