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Trade rumor rankings: Zach LaVine, Kyle Kuzma and more

Frank Urbina
·7 min read
10

As we get closer to the 2022-23 trade deadline, we are back for another installment of the NBA trade rumors rankings series where we rank the five players who have appeared most often in rumors on our trade page over the prior week.

Finding a player on this list doesn’t mean they are sure to get traded, but there have been instances in the past where a player will make their debut in our rankings series and get traded shortly thereafter.

Below, check out our NBA trade rumors rankings, a list featuring the likes of Zach LaVine and Kyle Kuzma, as well as other role players.

Zach LaVine (Bulls)

Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

With the Chicago Bulls wildly disappointing thus far this season and some turmoil going on between Zach LaVine and head coach Billy Donovan earlier on in the year, there has been speculation that LaVine could be a player to watch on the trade market.

A team with an eye on LaVine, according to Adrian Wojnarowski, are the New York Knicks, though Wojnarowski also said in basically the same breath that LaVine isn’t up to be traded… yet:

Except just-extended LaVine isn’t currently available, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said Wednesday on his network’s pregame show discussing the Knicks. “The Knicks will be watching Chicago. Is Zach LaVine a player who before the deadline possibly can become available? He certainly isn’t now.”

LaVine is having a down year, averaging 22.2 points on just 42.2 percent shooting.

For all of the latest rumors on Zach LaVine, click here.

Kyle Kuzma (Wizards)

Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Washington Wizards swingman Kyle Kuzma is enjoying his most productive season as a pro, putting up 20.8 points and 7.5 rebounds on 45.8 percent shooting from the floor.

But with Washington still sitting merely at 11-15 and Kuzma owning a player option on the final year of his contract, giving him the ability to hit free agency this summer, that has led to speculation the Wizards could choose to move him now rather than lose him for nothing this offseason.

According to Shams Charania, the Atlanta Hawks and Phoenix Suns have shown an interest in Kuzma already, with Washington and Atlanta discussing a potential John Collins swap:

Several teams, such as the Atlanta Hawks and Phoenix Suns, have expressed trade interest in Kyle Kuzma, according to league sources. By the same token, the Wizards have shown interest in Hawks forward John Collins, and the sides seriously discussed a potential deal last offseason, league sources added. Overall, this surely creates a possible decision for the Wizards during the season of holding onto the potential free-agent-to-be or exploring what’s out there.

Even so, Charania also reported that Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard considers Kuzma a franchise cornerstone, leading us to believe it would take a lot for the team to move the productive power forward.

For all of the latest rumors on Kyle Kuzma, click here.

Derrick Rose (Knicks)

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

With Derrick Rose seemingly on his last legs as an NBA player – the former league MVP is averaging 6.4 points on 40.0 percent shooting in just 21 appearances – his name came up a few time in trade scuttle this week.

His name was mentioned along with various other New York Knicks as players being shopped by the team in a report from Fred Katz:

Now, the Knicks are already on the phones. League sources said the most-common players they have discussed with other teams are, in no particular order: Immanuel Quickley, Evan Fournier, Rose and Reddish.

Veteran NBA reporter Ric Bucher even mentioned the Dallas Mavericks as a potential landing spot for the 34-year-old point guard:

They’ve brought on a former Knick, Kemba Walker, for a test run, but a league source said they also have interest in a current one, the aforementioned Derrick Rose.

Rose was likewise oft-injured last season but does have a team option on his contract for next year, so as a half-season rental, he could make some sense for a contender looking for scoring off the bench, perhaps.

For all of the latest rumors on Derrick Rose, click here.

Evan Fournier (Knicks)

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Another Knicks player in this ranking, though not the last, Evan Fournier’s numbers have taken a nosedive this season, as the French swingman has even lost his starting job and been in and out of the rotation. Fournier is averaging 6.9 points on 34.4 percent shooting in his 13 appearances so far this year.

That has left the Knicks trying to unload his contract, which has one more guaranteed season on it, 2023-24, worth $18.9 million, an undoubtedly tricky endeavor unless New York is willing to attach a sweetener to the deal.

According to a report this week, the Knicks are open to attaching one of their top young players to unload Fournier’s contract:

According to the Athletic’s Fred Katz, the Knicks are willing to attach Reddish to a trade to unload the contract of Evan Fournier, who is also out of the rotation.

Katz would expound on that in his report, indicating the Knicks are not willing to attach draft picks to rid themselves of Fournier’s deal right now:

The Knicks have not shown any interest in attaching draft picks to Fournier just to move him, league sources said. Still, that doesn’t mean a Fournier trade is impossible. They have expressed to other teams that they would consider dealing him for a less desirable contract if it meant bringing back an asset. The Knicks owe Fournier $18 million this season and $18.9 million next season. There is a team option for 2024-25, the final season of his contract, for $19 million.

Unless Fournier’s play greatly improves ahead of the deadline, this deal might be tricky for the Knicks to pull off.

For all of the latest rumors on Evan Fournier, click here.

Cam Reddish (Knicks)

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Cam Reddish has been a lightning rod of opinions early on in his career, a supremely talented swingman with loads of talent and scoring ability who has yet to put things together consistently at the NBA level.

As such, Reddish is looking at the possibility of being on his third team in four seasons if he does get traded prior to the deadline, as has been speculated.

The New York Daily News reported this week that without a role for him, the Knicks are working with Reddish’s representatives to find him a new home:

Less than a year after acquiring Cam Reddish for a first-round pick, the Knicks still don’t have a role for the young wing and are working with his representatives on a trade, a source told the Daily News.

Reddish responded to that report by telling the media that he hasn’t requested a trade:

Cam Reddish has landed outside the Knicks’ rotation, and he possibly could be headed out of New York. But after sitting out his second consecutive game Wednesday night, Reddish said multiple times that he hasn’t asked the Knicks to move him.“I haven’t requested any trades. I have not,” Reddish said after the Knicks’ 113-89 win over the Hawks, his former team.

Reddish would continue:

“Y’all seem to know more than me, for real. I don’t know what y’all talking about, but I haven’t requested no trade, nothing like that.” The Knicks have tried to attach Reddish to a trade seeking to dump the $18 million salary of Evan Fournier, who hasn’t played since Nov. 13, according to The Athletic. Another report published Wednesday stated the Knicks have been working with Reddish’s representatives to find a trade partner.

Reddish would also say he doesn’t fully understand why he’s out of the rotation, as he’s done the most he can to earn playing time but that he’ll continue to do what’s asked by head coach Tom Thibodeau.

For all of the latest rumors on Cam Reddish, click here.

Story originally appeared on HoopsHype