Kuzma’s uneven play has fueled …

Kuzma’s uneven play has fueled speculation that the Lakers may look to move him for a more team-friendly part. That seems unlikely, however. Kuzma is under an extremely team-friendly contract, earning just under $2 million this season and about $3.5 million in ’20-21. That limits the salary level of the players the Lakers can absorb in return. More importantly: Giving up on Kuzma this early isn’t something the Lakers should be interested in. Kuzma is just 24. He’s a proven NBA scorer. He’s experiencing a learning curve playing alongside James and Davis, but there simply is not enough evidence to declare the fit in L.A. a failure. Expect the Lakers to hold on to Kuzma in the hopes he develops into a reliable third scoring option this season—and beyond.