For years, Kyle Kuzma has been linked to the Sacramento Kings in trade rumors. They clearly like what he may bring to the table. With HoopsHype's Michael Scotto reporting that Zach LaVine is a player the Milwaukee Bucks have done homework on, it's only natural that Kuzma's name will once again be connected to the Kings, and they could finally land the forward if things gain traction.
"Should Milwaukee’s interest in LaVine become more serious, it’s worth noting that Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma and Kings Governor Vivek Ranadive both invested in a new women’s professional sports venture called Major League Volleyball, and Kuzma has been linked to the Kings via trade rumors for several seasons."
Any Zach LaVine to Milwaukee trade will feature Kyle Kuzma
There's no telling how interested the Kings are in Kuzma at this point, as they've undergone some management changes in recent times, but the ties to Ranadive are interesting. If any of that interest is still present, the Milwaukee Bucks could gladly ship Kuzma to Sacramento if they get an impact piece like LaVine in return, finally bringing the forward to California after years of rumors.
It's not like the Milwaukee Bucks have a choice in the matter. To match LaVine's massive $47 million salary, they will have to include Kuzma, Bobby Portis, and another minimum player, perhaps someone like Cole Anthony or Amir Coffey. With a salary so massive, this would likely end up being a three or four-team deal, so there's no telling what the final package would be, but Kuzma would be included.
LaVine isn't a perfect fit for a Milwaukee Bucks team that desperately needs defense, but he could be a nice fit to solve their offensive woes without Giannis Antetokounmpo. While Kuzma has been better this season than he was last year, he's still largely struggled to find consistency on a game-to-game basis. If there is an upgrade that requires his salary, Milwaukee must pounce.
If the Bucks aren't using Kuzma to trade for Zach LaVine, they very well could use him to make a deal for Anfernee Simons. Scotto noted in that same report that Milwaukee has kept tabs on Simons, who seems destined to be traded elsewhere in the coming months. Swapping the two would actually save the Boston Celtics a good chunk of money, making this worth keeping an eye on.
Whether it's for LaVine, Simons, or someone else, it feels inevitable that Kyle Kuzma will be on a new team by the time the NBA Trade Deadline passes. Time will tell how much the Sacramento Kings want that team to be them. The connection between Kings Governor Vivek Ranadive that Scotto pointed out could be an interesting factor here.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.