Yesterday, it was reported that the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers had had exploratory talks about a trade centered around Kyle Kuzma with the implication that the Lakers would want Marcus Morris.
Today, we received a few more details about those talks as SNY’s Ian Begley reports that the two sides also discussed a swap of Alex Caruso and Allonzo Trier.
Trier had a phenomenal rookie season last year, averaging 11 points a game and shooting nearly 40 percent from behind the arc. This season, he has seen his minutes dwindle and his efficiency has dropped with it. Caruso, meanwhile, can often get buried in the Lakers’ bench rotation but his defense and athleticism has been of major value to the Lakers.
As we wrote about yesterday, there would have to be a lot of moving parts to make this trade work given Kuzma and Morris’s contract statuses. More than likely, a third team with open roster spots would have to be involved. That may be why Begley reports talks have stalled since yesterday.
Still, it seems as though both teams are motivated to get something done. The Knicks want assets for Morris and the Lakers want a big body to defend wings (and potentially a guard who can handle the ball if Trier does get involved). It seems unlikely that anything happens but not implausible.
