Kyle Kuzma Will Be Traded Before The Trade Deadline

This could come sooner than the trade deadline, but the Los Angeles Lakers are definitely trying to pursue a trade to move Kyle Kuzma. In three years with Los Angeles, he has been a valuable role player for them, averaging 16.0 points and 5.5 rebounds over the course of his career, but he struggled to find a solidified role with the Lakers last season and saw his minutes decrease by about 25% from the season before. 

Kuzma is in the final year of his rookie contract and with his anticipated value to be above $10M per year, the Lakers will likely pass on giving him that big of a contract and as a result, will look to get value for him at the trade deadline. Given the players they brought in this offseason, Kyle Kuzma is no longer a vital part of the Lakers rotation and given his outgoing nature, would be better off on a non-LeBron James team. 

His production has declined over the years and he does not fit in the Lakers’ long-term plans anymore, which is why getting something for him would be beneficial for the Lakers chance at winning a title now and in the future. Also, the Lakers may not be done acquiring big name talent. 

They could easily package Kyle Kuzma in a trade to acquire another big name player near the trade deadline and solidify themselves as the team to beat in the NBA. DeMar DeRozan, Kevin Love, Victor Oladipo and Derrick Rose are just four of the potential big name players that could be on the move this season and if the Lakers could get their hands on one of these four players, it would be very hard to take them down. 

Whether or not the Lakers trade Kyle Kuzma this season, I fully expect the Lakers to move on from him next season and as a result, he will not be a member of the Los Angeles Lakers at the start of the 2021-22 NBA season.