By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
The Sacramento Kings made a trade proposal to the Los Angeles Lakers for Kyle Kuzma for en exchange that involved sending Nemanja Bjelica, plus a draft pick. The Lakers made a counter-offer, asking the Kings for Bjelica’s Serbian national teammate: Bogdan Bogdanovic.
That was a deal-breaker for the Kings despite Bogdanovic’s status as a restricted free agent next summer.
Per The Ringer:
The Kings offered Nemanja Bjelica and a pick to the Lakers for Kyle Kuzma, and Los Angeles countered by asking for Bogdanovic, according to multiple league sources. Sacramento refused.
It had been previously reported that the Kings are interested in adding Kuzma and that this acquisition would mean giving Bogdanovic to the Lakers. However, Sacramento doesn’t seem keen on trading Bogdanovic.
Bogdanovic, a former EuroLeague champion (2017) with Fenerbahce, averages 14.6 points, 3.3 assists, and 3.1 rebounds in his third season in the NBA. Bjelica, who won EuroLeague MVP in 2015 as a player of Fenerbahce, posts 12.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in his sixth year in the league.