Los Angeles Lakers Receive: F PJ Tucker
Houston Rockets Receive: G Alex Caruso, F Kyle Kuzma & LAL 2025 1st Round Pick
The Houston Rockets are in shambles right now as an organization as they fired their GM and head coach in the offseason, traded away Robert Covington and Russell Westbrook and now James Harden has requested a trade and it is a matter of time before he is in a new uniform. Everything that could have gone wrong for this organization went wrong and now, they are facing an up-hill journey to try and rebuild their organization into a championship contender.
With the “Houston Rockets’ Garage Sale” going on, PJ Tucker being traded would make a lot of sense on Houston’s end of things. He is now 35-years old and does not have many years left in the NBA. His value is as high as it can be right now and if they are able to acquire Caruso, Kuzma and a first-round pick for him, that would be a big win for Houston moving forward.
Alex Caruso has been a fantastic role player for the Lakers and played a big part in them being NBA Champions last year. While his numbers may not show it, Caruso does all the little things for the Lakers to help them win games. From playing pesty defense, to hustling on every play, to making the extra pass to his open teammates, Caruso is a guy that is beloved in the Lakers’ locker room and could be a solid rotation guy in Houston.
In three years with the Lakers, Kyle Kuzma has been fantastic, averaging about 16.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and shooting 33.4% from three-point range. With Christian Wood and DeMarcus Cousins in the front court, Kuzma is a combo-forward that could bring a lot of energy off the bench for the Rockets moving forward.
Trading away Caruso, Kuzma and a future first-round pick definitely weakens the Lakers for when LeBron James is ready to retire, as they would not have many young players to work with, but it does maximize their chances of winning as many titles as possible with him as their leader.
PJ Tucker is available from the Houston Rockets for the right price and he would have more of an impact on the Lakers’ chances of winning back-to-back titles than Kuzma or Caruso would individually. Let’s take a look at why this trade would benefit both the Lakers and the Rockets.
