Report: Lakers to Flip Key Player for Premier Scorer in Trade Proposal

The Los Angeles Lakers missed the chance to win back-to-back titles. LeBron James and Anthony Davis missed too much time due to injuries. Analysts believe that the Lakers should accept one particular trade proposal and it involves Kyle Kuzma. The Lakers may flip a key player.

It’s more than obvious that General Manager Rob Pelinka will have to make some changes in the offseason. Some of his players struggled to perform in the first round of the playoffs.

Greg Swartz from Bleacher Report believes that the Lakers should go for Pistons bucket-getter Jerami Grant. This proposal is pretty surprising as it involves Kyle Kuzma, the No.22 selection in the 2021 NFL Draft, and two future second-round picks (2023-2024) for Grant.

The team will get a third scorer to play next to both superstars. Kuzma is a talented player but he struggled on the floor. Grant was a top-30 scorer and he was averaging 22.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.1 blocks in 54 starts with his team.

Here’s the catch. Grant has $20 million salary heading in the next season. That’s $7 million more than Kuzma. The Lakers will have to make some trades to solve the situation.

“The Pistons will be hard-pressed to let go of Grant, but the Lakers can still offer a strong package for the veteran forward,” Swartz noted. “Grant is the perfect combination of scoring and defensive versatility that the Lakers roster could use. He can play power forward next to Anthony Davis in small-ball lineups or slide out to the wing when LeBron James runs the point.”

The Lakers may still flip the star player

Playing next to LeBron and AD is super challenging for every NBA player. Mark Medina from USA Today believes that the Lakers will hear trade offers for Kuzma in the next few months.

“No, James and Davis won’t and should not go anywhere,” Medina noted. “But can’t see why the Lakers would have any interest in keeping Dennis Schroder, Andre Drummond and Montrezl Harrell. The Lakers should keep Alex Caruso and Talen Horton-Tucker since they’re mostly reliable role players. But expect Kyle Kuzma to be attached in trade talks considering his team-friendly extension and his failure to have season-long consistency.”

When it comes to Grant, the Lakers will have to try really hard to get him. The Pistons won’t agree to a shallow offer. Pistons head coach Dwane Casey has something to say about Grant and his performance on the floor in 2020-21.

“You get to know him as a person. He’s a genuine, humble, hungry, driven person,” Casey told NBA.com. “He’s a great young man. He wants to be one of the best in the league. He’s more and then some what I expected as far as a scorer and a guy who has the ability to score in this league.”