Los Angeles Lakers: Kyle Kuzma is now the franchise X-Factor

Kyle Kuzma is an X-Factor for the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Los Angeles Lakers have to make a decision that Kyle Kuzma should have made easy for them. However, Kuzma’s play in the first scrimmage has not. Lake Show Life is out of answers and potential excuses to cover Kyle Kuzma’s play. Kyle Kuzma is now the franchise X-Factor!

The Los Angeles Lakers play the Los Angeles Clippers on July 30th to start the NBA season officially after a COVID-19 virus pandemic that stopped play for four months on March 11th. Eight regular seeding games that mean almost nothing to the Lakers as they almost have the number one seed locked up for the playoffs.

As the team gets closer to the playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers’ front office is gearing up to make a franchise-altering decision as the players make their run at an NBA title. Rob Pelinka has to decide if wants to make a transitional contract extension.

Is it Anthony Davis?

Really? Is this a question? Anthony Davis is a virtual lock to resign in the offseason. To think there were reports that the Chicago Bulls and yes, the New York Knicks had theoretical shots at swooping in and signing Anthony Davis.

Yes, folks, all NBA writers and bloggers struggled for content over the last four months. The only thing stopping the Lakers from handing out a contract to this player is if the NBA has a lockout. Based on what ESPN’s Brian Windhorst’s comments on how the financial landscape of other NBA teams are faring, that might not be far off. 

Is it LeBron James?

Lake Show Life is going to let you in on a poorly kept secret. LeBron James is making a life transition into retirement life. Please don’t bring up the MVP stats this year like he’ll be around forever.

This is still his 17th year in the NBA. He’s got to retire sometime. Plus his media businesses is growing larger than his MVP exploits on the hardwood. His partners, Rich Paul and Maverick Carter are just as powerful in Hollywood in their own right.

If the Lakers win the title and he thinks he can sneak another title before retiring, he might give the Lakers a hometown discount. Oh, he can afford it. He has a shot to end his career as the first active NBA billionaire in history. 

These players will be around for a while. Davis will get his max-deal and LeBron James will figure out a salary cap friendly way to get his money. The Lakers have the best local television deal in the NBA that was inked around the time James decided to take his talents to the West Coast.

With a virtually guaranteed deal reportedly bringing in around $200 million annually and with a national television share (Oh you know TNT, ESPN and ABC might have this team on a few times right?) the Lakers could bring in more than $300 million even if they don’t sell a Staples Center ticket.

No Lakers Nation, the decision that has to be made is the potential contract extension of Kyle Kuzma, the player who has carried fans on the hype roller coaster for the better part of two and a half years.

After making progress in his second year that impressed many enough to believe that Kyle Kuzma was a late-round steal at the 27th pick back in 2017 in the D’Angelo Russell and “Please take this Timofey Mozgov contract off our books” deal with Brooklyn. He is the last remaining member of the young core that stayed after the Anthony Davis trade last summer. Why did he stay? Well, Lake Show Life has two theories.

• Fans can really believe that Kyle Kuzma was untouchable as the reports said leading up to the deal.
• The Los Angeles Lakers were blessed to move up in the draft lottery and nab the 4th overall pick which New Orleans Pelicans VP of Basketball Operations, David Griffin wanted more.

Now Lake Show Life believes that Kyle Kuzma has about 2-3 months during this playoff run to prove that he can be a consistent player as the third option behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis while helping to anchor the second unit with scoring.

The ship has already sailed on the third-star status to many who seem to believe that Kuzma has already fallen flat as the third star in the regular season. Sure he had his moments like the Clippers game on Christmas Night or the OKC Thunder explosion when LeBron and AD didn’t play. But those type of games are few and far in between.

Starting on Thursday against the Clippers, the franchise has to get these questions figured out quickly.

• Can Kyle Kuzma be an impact player in Orlando?
• Will he be that third star?
• Is he going to be worth the long term extension coming due soon with the 20-21 “Summer of Giannis” coming?
• Is he an asset to clear off unfriendly salary cap contracts that will be on the roster next year?

Preliminary reports from the Lakers camp made it seem to be that he would be. But the inconsistent play of Kuzma in two the games he played in Orlando illustrates the player that was a disappointment and couldn’t escape trade rumors all season.

First, he plays an awful game that has Lakers fans calling for his head. Then when he gets criticized, he follows up with a game that makes him a valuable commodity.

Many other reports will say players like Danny Green, Dion Waiters, J.R. Smith to maybe even Alex Caruso will be the X-factor to this year’s playoff run. Over the next several pages Lake Show Life goes in-depth to something even more important. Kyle Kuzma is the franchise X-factor. The discussion doesn’t even have to go back as far as a week. It’s the microcosm of Kuzma’s career with the Los Angeles Lakers.