– Kyle Kuzma
Arguably the player that will benefit the most from Cousins being out is Kyle Kuzma. Many expected Kuzma and Cousins to be the two big guns off the bench for the Lakers. However, with Cousins out, Kuzma will likely see his usage rate rise if he does indeed come off the bench.
If Kuzma is indeed the best scorer coming off the bench, he could fall into some big numbers next season. This summer, Kuzma has been working out and playing with Team USA as he tries to make the squad.
Whether Kuzma makes the team or not, this is a huge opportunity for him to grow and get better as a player. Learning from a coach like Gregg Popovich and playing with and against others on the team will help Kuzma in multiple areas.
In his first two seasons in the NBA, Kuzma has shown that he can clearly be a great scorer. With Cousins out, this will be something that the Lakers’ bench needs. Kuzma should be able to score around 20 points per night, as he should see a lot of the offense run through him on the second-unit. Also, the Lakers might elect to play a bit smaller more often without Cousins, which will mean some more minutes for Kuzma.