Los Angeles Lakers: Kyle Kuzma wasn’t traded, what happens now?

The Los Angeles Lakers want to win now. But what about winning later?

Before someone points out that Kuzma isn’t exactly a young player at 24 years of age, he still represents the best under-25 player the Lakers have on their roster.

Sure the Lakers are in “win-now” mode and this season might be the best opportunity to win a championship. But as a Lakers fan, wouldn’t you want this team to compete for the remainder of LeBron’s time on the roster and throughout AD’s prime?

Have you seen how old this roster is? Forget LeBron James, check the entire roster. Compared to most of the roster, Kuzma seems like he’s still in high school.

Kuzma has to be the bridge to get the Lakers to the AD era after LeBron decides to hang it up. Furthermore he has to be a contributor to convince Davis to stay if he signs a 2+1 deal this summer.

Besides Talen Horton-Tucker or Alex Caruso, who on the current roster can be said to even have the talent to convince Anthony Davis this won’t be the next franchise left in ruins after LeBron leaves?

Now that the Lakers’ future draft assets are limited because of the Davis trade with New Orleans, Kuzma really is the only young player, in hand, who has rotation value now and into the future.

In closing, It should also be said that Kyle Kuzma has shown a bunch of skill and wonderful tools over the course of his brief career.. He’s improved his ball-handling each season, has really gotten better as a defender and is known around the Lakers organization as a really hard worker who wants to be great.

Over time, this will produce a productive player that can be a part of postseason folklore like Robert Horry.

For now, stop pointing to Kuz’s inconsistencies, understand that his strengths matter too. Those strengths have and will help this team going forward. Keep focusing on these weaknesses will lead to yet another young Laker playing well for someone else.