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The New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers have discussed a trade surrounding third-year forward Kyle Kuzma, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Knicks have had exploratory conversations on Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 4, 2020
The Knicks' interest in the former first-round pick from the 2017 NBA Draft comes hours after the franchise dismissed longtime executive and team president Steve Mills, who had been a fixture in the organization for the better part of two decades.
With the 24-year-old Kuzma on the trading block for the contending Lakers, the Knicks will see if they can deal Marcus Morris — their leading scorer and an expiring contract in 2020. According to Charania, several teams are also seeking to acquire the veteran forward's services.
Morris was previously reported as being internally debated by the Knicks about whether to give up or not, as New York sought to re-sign the former Boston Celtics stretch four in the summer. The 30-year-old forward originally signed with the Big Apple franchise after reneging on a verbally agreed deal with the San Antonio Spurs for multiple years, instead “betting” on himself to earn a richer, long-term contract in the 2020 offseason.
Morris is shooting 43.9 percent from behind the 3-point arc this season for the Knicks, making him a prime target for Thursday's trade deadline.
Kyke Kuzma, meanwhile, has not been able to fit in off the bench for the Lakers after LeBron James pushed the team to trade for New Orleans Pelicans All-Star power forward Anthony Davis. Kuzma had previously been mentioned in a potential deal with the neighboring California franchise the Sacramento Kings, possibly for third-year wing Bogdan Bogdanovic.
With Mills gone for New York, Morris could very well be traded, and the Knicks might be looking to supplement their rebuild with tangible players like Kuzma versus more draft picks in their war chest.
