Trade rumors have been swirling around for Kyle Kuzma of the Los Angeles Lakers. However, he isn’t letting them bother him as much this year.
As we get closer to the NBA Trade Deadline, there have been a good amount of rumors surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers.
With the Lakers being one of the best teams in the NBA, they are looking to put the final touches on becoming the title favorites. Even though the Lakers have the best record in the Western Conference, there is still room for them to improve.
However, due to the trade for Anthony Davis, there aren’t a lot of tradeable assets for the Lakers. If the Lakers were going to try and pull off a significant move, those discussions would likely start with Kyle Kuzma’s name.
As the last remaining person from the young core of a year ago, Kuzma has not had a great season for the Lakers. However, the Lakers are still winning games as Kuzma finds his role with the team.
Last season, the trade rumors for Davis really seemed to destroy the Lakers. This year, Kuzma talked with Bill Oram of The Athletic about the rumors not bothering him like they did last season. You can read the full article by Oram with a paid subscription to The Athletic here.
It has certainly been a frustrating and disappointing season for Kuzma in his third year with the Lakers. His numbers are down across the board, and he hasn’t been very efficient.
Becoming the third option behind LeBron James and Davis has not been an easy transition for Kuzma, and it could be why the Lakers haven’t shut the rumors down on making him available.
Even though the Lakers are playing great this season, teams like the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers will surely be trying to improve as well before the trade deadline. If the Lakers want to give themselves the best chance to win a title, they might decide to go all-in this season and move Kuzma.
The good thing is that after last season, Kuzma seems to be handling the rumors much better. With Davis out recently, Kuzma was playing some of his best basketball of the season. Hopefully with Davis now being back, Kuzma can sustain that level of play.