The Los Angeles Lakers had high hopes of Kyle Kuzma becoming the third scoring option behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but that wasn’t the case.
After proving a versatile but streaky scorer during his first two seasons, Kuzma has never quite acclimated to life alongside James and Davis.
This season, the Lakers had Kuzma managing different roles depending on the health of the team. If everyone was healthy, Kuzma needed to hold his own on defense, help secure rebounds and knock down catch-and-shoot 3-pointers.
When James and Davis missed games because of their respective lower-leg injuries, Kuzma needed to score in bunches to fill the void left by the two stars.
Kuzma never found the consistency he needed, and his play completely unraveled in the playoffs against the Phoenix Suns when Kuzma couldn’t provide a reliable scoring punch.
Though Kuzma is confident he can be an All-Star in a consistent role, the Lakers might not have the same belief.
According to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, the Lakers are evaluating how teams feel about Kuzma:
“Meanwhile, Los Angeles continues to gauge rival teams’ interest in Kyle Kuzma, sources told B/R.”
Kuzma recently signed a three-year extension worth $13 million a year, which L.A. could use in a trade to either add different talent or make the salary match.
Kuzma, who turns 26 later in July, had shown growth on both sides of the floor this season and said he aims to improve his ball-handling skills to transform into a more lethal scorer.
If the Lakers are optimistic he can make that leap, which has been said for consecutive seasons now, then it would be wise to keep him given his multifaceted skills. If not, Kuzma’s four-year tenure, the longest of any Laker, could come to an end.
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