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Report: Kings Offered Nemanja Bjelica to Lakers for Kyle Kuzma
- Updated: January 31, 2020
With the NBA’s trading deadline just a week away, teams are starting to scramble in an attempt to improve their rosters.
One of those teams is the Los Angeles Lakers, who have apparently been dangling forward Kyle Kuzma.
According to @KevinOConnorNBA, the Kings offered Nemanja Bjelica and a Draft Pick to the Lakers for Kyle Kuzma. The Lakers countered, asking for Bogdan Bogdanovic.
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) January 30, 2020
One rumor has involved Kuzma being shipped to the Sacramento Kings.
Bogdan Bogdanovic is a player who the Lakers have reportedly had an interest in. He’s a 6-foot-6 swingman who is a fine outside shooter and a secondary ball-handler and playmaker.
Bogdanovic is averaging 14.6 points and 3.3 assists a game this season in 28.1 minutes.
Nemanja Bjelica is a 6-foot-10, 235 pound forward who is shooting an outstanding 43.4 percent from 3-point range this year. A second-round draft pick of the Washington Wizards in 2010, he’s originally from Serbia and is currently in his fifth NBA season.
If the Lakers are to trade Kuzma, they will likely need to acquire a backup power forward, as he’s been playing almost all his minutes at the 4.
Despite high expectations amidst solid rookie and sophomore seasons, the Flint, Mich. native has been a relative disappointment this season.
He’s averaging 12.9 points a game in 25.0 minutes and hitting just 33.7 percent of his 3-pointers.