Los Angeles Lakers that could be traded: Kyle Kuzma
At age 24 and just in his third season, he stands at the opposite end of his NBA career from Rondo. But even though an argument can be made that Kuzma has not yet peaked, he is even more controversial than Rondo.
After capturing the hearts of Lakers fans in his first Summer League, he had an excellent rookie year, averaging 16.1 PPG and shooting 36.7% from behind the three-point line. Last season his average rose to 18.7 PPG in 33 minutes of play, mostly in a starting role, while his long-distance percentage dropped to 30.3%.
It was thought that not only would Kuz become the team’s third scorer behind Davis and James this season, but that all three might average over 20 PPG.
But the season has not gone as hoped. An ankle injury caused him to miss training camp and the first four games of the season. Once he returned to action it took him several games to settle in and to adapt to his new role coming off the bench. Additional minor injuries to his foot and eye slowed down his progress as he missed five more games in December.
Kuzma has had several quality streaks, such as a five-game stretch in November when he averaged 18 points and hit 47% on his three-point attempts. He has particularly excelled when AD and/or LeBron were out with injuries, most especially in a January game when he scored 36 points on 15-24 shooting against the Thunder.
But consistency has been a major issue as Kuzma has had far too many sub-par games. And in the last five weeks before the season was suspended, his three-point accuracy completely disappeared. In his final 14 games, he shot an abysmal 15% beyond the arc. Overall, he is averaging 12.5 PPG (third on the team but below expectations) and just under 30% from long range in about 25 minutes per game.
Many have given up on Kuzma. They say he does not fit well alongside either AD or LeBron. Indeed, at 6-8, 220 he is somewhat of a “tweener”, not strong enough to defend power 4’s and not quick enough to stay with the better 3’s.
Those detractors claim the Lakers would be better off with a more consistent scoring threat in the sixth man role, especially someone who can consistently drain his open shots. They say the time to trade him is now when his relatively low salary (about $3.6 million next season) makes him an attractive target before he qualifies for free agency a year from now.
But Kuz is not without support. A year ago Pelinka reportedly refused to include him in the trade for Davis. There’s at least a possibility that Rob still believes in him. And Vogel has repeatedly endorsed him publicly.
Although Kuzma not close to being an outstanding defender, he has improved on that end of the court this year. And the factors that physically hinder his defense provide offensive advantages as he often out-quicks most 4’s and overpowers most 3’s.
Moreover, despite his disappointing season. his flashes of excellence and his relative youth seemingly indicate that he still has the potential to continue to improve and to become at least a solid contributor for a contending NBA team, and perhaps more than that.
As is the case with Rondo, trading him for equal salary is unlikely to turn out well for the Lakers. So if Pelinka decides to move him, it will probably be as part of a larger package.
What do you think? Should the Los Angeles Lakers trade Rondo, Kuzma or both, or hold onto both players?