Kyle Kuzma an interesting player for OKC Thunder to consider pursuing

This summer, the front office for the OKC Thunder has the potential to be quite a busy bunch on the free-agent market if they so choose.

Though the majority of attention has been drawn towards the fact that Oklahoma City holds the fourth-best odds of landing the top pick during this July’s Draft, and will be heading up to the board three times in the first round alone, the team finds itself with many different avenues to go down in an effort to bring aboard more talents.

Should things play out according to plan, Sam Presti and co. could find themselves with about $51 million in salary space, which means, at least from a financial standpoint, they could afford to sign anyone they wanted to.

However, based on their track record over the years, it’s more than likely that the franchise will not be enticing the likes of Kawhi Leonard and DeMar DeRozan to come to the Sooner State, which means they’ll either have to settle for lower-name players, outbid other teams for their restricted free agents, or, perhaps the more entertaining avenue, scouring the trade market.

Kicking off the summer of 2021 with the blockbuster move that nabbed Kemba Walker, the OKC front office has already shown its willingness to take chances.

While the 4x All-Star should certainly not be viewed as a long-term asset for the franchise, as he’s over 30 and, at this point, does not fit the timeline that this rebuilding team is on, there are a few younger players with promise that could be viewed as worthy of being dealt for.

One player this team could actually consider buying-low on this offseason is a fourth-year forward for the Los Angeles Lakers.

That man: Kyle Kuzma.

Now yes, we understand that the 26-year-old may not be the “hottest” name in the league, as he is coming off of quite a disappointing postseason run where he averaged just 6.3 points and 3.8 rebounds on a putrid 29 percent shooting from deep.

However, still young and with an impressive set of skills, the rebuilding OKC Thunder, who are in need of talent bolstering, could be in a prime position to take a chance on the soon-to-be fifth-year baller.

On the season as a whole, the forward was a solid contributor for the Los Angeles Lakers, logging 28.7 minutes a night while posting per-game averages of 12.9 points and 6.1 rebounds on 44 percent shooting from the field and 36 percent shooting from deep.

At 6-10, 221 pounds with a 7-foot wingspan Kuzma has the ideal build of a modern-day four in the NBA, while his 3-point shooting could help space out the frontcourt, which could help elevate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s game from borderline All-Star worthy to All-NBA deserving.

Again, we are quite aware of his recent postseason tribulations — dropped just two points on 17 percent shooting from the field in LA’s elimination game against the Phoenix Suns –, but this could theoretically wind up boding well for the OKC Thunder.

With these lowly performances, his trade value has plummeted significantly.

Add in the fact that the Lakers are still in a “win now” mode with the likes of LeBron James and Anthony Davis under contract through 2023 and 2025, respectively, and we could theoretically see Rob Pelinka being interested in taking a swing and trying to acquire Kemba from Oklahoma City to better fit their timeline.

Obviously, Walker’s contract ($36 million owed in 2021-22) and Kuzma’s contract ($13 million) would not work from a simple swap standpoint.

However, should Los Angeles throw in some salary matches (ex. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Marc Gasol) while also letting some impending free agents walk, such a hypothetical could wind up working from a financial standpoint.

No, we’re not going out and saying that Kuzma is a sure-fire Robin to SGA’s Batman moving forward. That said, someone of his potential is an interesting asset to inquire about and, should they be able to snag him for a package centered around Walker, it would certainly be an idea worth pursuing for the OKC Thunder.