As the February trade deadline nears, the number of rumors regarding potential deals is only increasing. With a number of teams and players engaging in the market, it’s no surprise that two of the hottest names have drawn a connection in the past few days: Kyle Kuzma and Buddy Hield.
In a series of tweets, Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus lays out the framework of a deal involving the two young stars.
This is for those who want to understand how a poison pill contract works in trade – not a trade rumor. Let's suppose for a moment that it's Buddy the Kings want to trade instead of Bogdanovic. Let's suppose they've spoken to the Lakers and Kuzma is the value back
— Eric Pincus (@EricPincus) January 25, 2020
Again, purely hypothetical. On the surface, the contracts are close. Kuzma is $1,974,600 and Buddy is $4,861,208. It looks easy to get there, but the issue is that Buddy signed an extension that starts in July, making his deal poison pill
— Eric Pincus (@EricPincus) January 25, 2020
As poison pill, the Kings would get credit for trading away the $4.86 mil salary but the incoming team would be credited with the average of his total contracted (cap hit, he has some incentives we won't address here) – so $98,861,208/5 = $19,772,242.
— Eric Pincus (@EricPincus) January 25, 2020
So clearly Kuzma's just-under-$2 mil salary isn't anywhere close to what the Lakers would need to match Buddy's poison pill number. Theoretically, the Lakers could get there by sending out Kuzma with Avery Bradley, Cook, Daniels and Cousins – not rumored, just hypothetically
— Eric Pincus (@EricPincus) January 25, 2020
Now the Kings are limited if they trade Buddy to 175% + $100k of his salary. So clearly all those Lakers, that's too much to take in. So the math isn't a natural fit. But that doesn't mean it's impossible.
— Eric Pincus (@EricPincus) January 25, 2020
Basically, Pincus is explaining the nature of “poison” pill contracts and is speaking hypothetically more than anything. Nonetheless, a trade between the sides is possible, even if it requires some financial limbo.
This is the fundamental difficulty in trading a poison pill player – the salary is not treated at an equal value, creating a natural imbalance. But deals can be configured in creative ways
— Eric Pincus (@EricPincus) January 25, 2020
For instance, the Kings could trade Buddy for Cook and Cousins. In a separate trade, send Justin James and Harry Giles to Avery Bradley. And in a third trade Anthony Tolliver for Kyle Kuzma (overcoming Tolliver's aggregation restriction)
— Eric Pincus (@EricPincus) January 25, 2020
Such a transaction would be one trade b/w the Lakers and Kings – but Sacramento would break up their end into 3 parts. But now we're back into a problem on the Lakers side, how can they take Giles and James?
— Eric Pincus (@EricPincus) January 25, 2020
This is where the importance of three-team trade deals comes int play.
The answer would probably need to be a third team to take on two small salaries – Harry Giles at an expiring $2,578,800 and Justin Games at $898,310. Can make it work to Lakers with Jared Dudley and Talen Horton-Tucker thrown in – but while the math works – roster space is off
— Eric Pincus (@EricPincus) January 25, 2020
The Kings have 14 players so any deal where they take in 1 more than they have is fine – but once you go over that, they need to cut players outright first, before a trade. That's a lot to ask . . .
— Eric Pincus (@EricPincus) January 25, 2020
I can't see the Kings cutting Kent Bazemore and Yogi Ferrell just to make a deal work. Or a player on a multi-year deal like Cory Joseph. I have yet to find the exact right combination of players that works both with the salaries and the roster count w/o a third team
— Eric Pincus (@EricPincus) January 25, 2020
But getting over the math isn't difficult, as I've detailed, if there's a third team with roster space (or the willingness to cut a player), a trade exception or cap room (just the Hawks currently), etc. – If the Lakers and Kings were so motivated, it's not outlandish
— Eric Pincus (@EricPincus) January 25, 2020
at least from a mathematical/cap perspective. I don't know what the Kings intend to do with Buddy. What they would want if they chose to shop him, etc. Or if the Lakers would be willing (though Pelinka did rep Buddy before joining the Lakers)
— Eric Pincus (@EricPincus) January 25, 2020
but that's how a poison pill can mess up what would otherwise look like a pretty easy trade to make…
— Eric Pincus (@EricPincus) January 25, 2020
One final comment – it hasn't escaped me that in my theoretical, I'm suggesting Boogie back to the Kings for Buddy!
— Eric Pincus (@EricPincus) January 25, 2020
Again, Pincus is only speaking hypothetically here. But for the Kings and their contract/situation with Buddy, these are the types of things they will have to think about in the event of a trade.
Working out the financial kinks of a deal isn’t always as easy as it seems — but with two teams motivated enough, they can make it work. So while we shouldn’t exactly expect a Kuz/Hield swap, we can’t rule one out, either.
We don’t know what to expect come deadline day.
