NBA Rumors: Pre-2020 Deadline Trade Buzz on Kyle Kuzma and More

Either the 2020 NBA trade deadline will be more active than anticipated, or it just delivered its bombshell a day-plus ahead of Thursday's 3 p.m. ET cutoff.

Late Tuesday evening (or, depending on your location, early Wednesday morning), four teams reached agreement on a legitimate blockbuster. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic provided the particulars on a megadeal involving, among many others, Clint Capela joining the Atlanta Hawks and Robert Covington headed to the Houston Rockets:

Given how quickly these discussions can come together, that trade could break the dam on a horde of other exchanges.

The rumor mill still has ample buzz, and we'll get to the latest chatter below.

Knicks, Lakers Have Discussed Kyle Kuzma

In the words of LeBron James, the Los Angeles Lakers "have enough" to compete for the crown. But there's such a thin margin for error when chasing a title, and maybe that motivates the Purple and Gold to make a move.

They're short on trade chips, though, with Kyle Kuzma standing as the most logical one. But he's a 24-year-old who averaged nearly 19 points on 45-plus percent shooting as an NBA sophomore last season. That's a tough commodity to give up. Oh, and he's not even making $2 million, so matching money for a difference-maker won't be easy.

But the Lakers are still searching the market for Kuzma deals, and they've had "exploratory conversations" with the New York Knicks, per Charania. Considering the Knicks just ousted team president Steve Mills on Tuesday, they might be the deadline's biggest wild card.

It's tough to tell what the 'Bockers have that the Lakers would want. Marcus Morris seems the likeliest focus, but his $15 million salary complicates things with Kuzma is so cheap. That said, it makes sense for the sides to talk given L.A.'s need for a defensive forward and complementary scorer.

Clippers Searching for Upgrades at Wing or Center

The Los Angeles Clippers have Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. On a very related note, the Clippers are awesome—on course, in fact, to post their highest winning percentage in franchise history.

But with a real shot at the championship and a few roster areas that could be improved, the Clippers apparently aim to be a little awesome-r.

"There is some interest in Tristan Thompson in L.A.'s front office, per sources, as L.A.'s coaching staff has fretted about the team's rebounding, particularly when Ivica Zubac is off the floor," SI.com's Chris Mannix reported. "Wing depth is a consideration for the Clippers, with Robert Covington and [Andre] Iguodala among the possibilities."

The Clippers can afford one big-ticket(ish) purchase, as they have both a 2020 first-rounder and Maurice Harkless' expiring $11 million salary to offer. But that probably leaves room for only one upgrade, so the front office must decide whether it needs to address the interior, perimeter or even adding a playmaker.

L.A. could target a big with more athleticism than Zubac and more size than 6'7" Montrezl Harrell, but would a player like Thompson's defense add more to the closing group than Harrell's offense? The wing option might allow more holes to be filled.

Spurs' Asking Price for Jakob Poeltl Reportedly 'Too High'

When the San Antonio Spurs were forced to move Kawhi Leonard in July 2018, they settled on a three-piece return from the Toronto Raptors. DeMar DeRozan was the headliner going to the Alamo City, but the Silver and Black also netted a first-round pick (used on Keldon Johnson) and Jakob Poeltl, the ninth overall pick in 2016.

With the Spurs sitting on the wrong side of the playoff picture, they might feel motivated to move out some players. While most would assume San Antonio would prefer shipping out pricey veterans (like DeRozan), teams apparently want to poach Poeltl, a 7'1" defensive deterrent averaging career highs of 11.7 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per 36 minutes.

But CNBC's Jabari Young reported the Spurs' asking price is "too high," though the scribe added it "may come down" as the deadline draws nearer.

Teams looking for a bargain bin man would do well to target Poeltl, although he's headed to restricted free agency after the season. While not a floor spacer, he's a throwback source of interior muscle, rebounding, defense and close-range scoring. He's not someone San Antonio needs to move, but if it's worried about his free-agent price tag climbing above its budget, then it's sensible to explore his market.