3 obvious reasons the Knicks shouldn’t trade for Kyle Kuzma

The New York Knicks have been on a tear as of late, winning seven straight games. That puts them at 17-13 on the season, good for sixth in the Eastern Conference. As a result, the front office appears to be looking into potential trades to help further improve the roster.

One such rumored trade target is Kyle Kuzma, who has been having a breakout season for the Washington Wizards. The 27-year-old is averaging 21.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game on respectable 46-34-69 shooting splits.

It hasn’t resulted in wins for Washington, though. The Wiz have lost 11 of their last 12 games and currently own a record of 11-18. This has led many to believe that they could strip down the roster, which includes dealing away Kuzma.

However, the Knicks should steer clear of any trade discussions involving the former first-round pick.

3 reasons the Knicks shouldn’t attempt to acquire Kyle Kuzma

3. Kuzma’s short-term contract details

It’s worth noting that part of the reason why Kuzma is available in trade talks is due to the remainder of his contract. He’s signed for the rest of this year, then has a $13 million player option for next season.

He’ll likely decline that option since it’s almost a certainty that he’ll be offered a deal worth more than $13 million annually in free agency next summer. With the Knicks having four separate players on contracts that run through 2025, they might not be able to re-sign Kuzma in July.

Given that potential outcome, it wouldn’t be smart to part with legitimate assets for what could end up being a mere four months of Kuzma.

If they do end up trading for him and decide to pay him, it would likely lower the team’s overall ceiling. A Brunson-Barrett-Kuzma-Randle core is good enough to make the postseason and even win a series, but they’d have virtually no chance at legitimately contending for a title.

They would also have given up a combination of players/picks to trade for Kuzma in that scenario, so there wouldn’t be enough left over to deal for a superstar that could elevate the roster to championship-caliber status.

2. Both frontcourt positions are already locked up

Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson have both performed better than expectations this year. Randle is averaging 22.6 points per game with a true shooting percentage of 58.8%, which is his highest mark as a Knick.

Meanwhile, Robinson ranks within the top 15 in both blocks and offensive rebounds among all players this season. This is even more impressive when you take into account the fact that he’s missed eight games.

Kuzma has spent 97% of his minutes playing either power forward or center over the past two seasons in Washington. His 6’9″, 221-pound frame allows him to match up with most forwards and also occasionally operate as an offensive-minded big in ultra-small lineups.

Given that neither Randle nor Robinson would likely be involved in a Kuzma trade, he’d need to slot in as the starting small forward.

He’s only played the majority of his minutes at small forward in one season, his 2020-21 campaign with the Los Angeles Lakers. Kuzma had a net rating of -0.6 that year, the worst mark on the entire team (minimum 20 games played).

This would also force RJ Barrett into the starting shooting guard position where he has struggled to defend smaller, quicker players.

1. The defense would likely suffer

One of the primary reasons behind New York’s hot streak has been a couple of major rotation changes. Primarily, removing Evan Fournier and Derrick Rose while replacing them with Quentin Grimes and Miles “Deuce” McBride.

Fournier and Rose are both skilled offensively, but their defense was extremely poor and it often negated any positive effects their scoring and playmaking provided.

Grimes and McBride may not possess the natural scoring abilities of the vets, but the two young guards make up for it in spades with their swarming defense.

The addition of Kuzma would knock Grimes out of the starting lineup and cause McBride to fall out of the rotation once again, given that they aren’t part of the trade package going to Washington in the first place.

The Knicks have gone on a winning streak mainly due to their efforts on the less glamorous end of the court, owning the second-best defensive rating in the NBA over the first five games of their current run.

They’re finally starting to find their identity as a team, so it wouldn’t make sense to add a below-average defender who plays the same exact position as the team’s best player and could end up leaving in a few months for nothing.

Would Knicks make this Kyle Kuzma trade with Wizards?

The New York Knicks and Washington Wizards can easily build a trade for Kyle Kuzma. Would both sides say yes to this construction?