Final verdict: Kyle Kuzma’s trade odds have increased
While it is not a guarantee that he will be traded during the offseason, the Los Angeles Lakers’ experience in the Orlando bubble has increased the chances that the team trades Kyle Kuzma in the offseason.
When it really boils down to it, it is the reasons for increased trade odds that have stuck out the most. Sure, he has produced some really good games in the bubble that could make it harder to trade him. But at the same time, those really good games made it easier to trade him as well.
Nobody came away from Game 4 saying that the Los Angeles Lakers won because Kyle Kuzma went five of nine from the floor. While that certainly helped, that was not the reason why and quite frankly: he thrived in a blowout setting.
Instead, his inconsistencies as a shooter when it really matters have been highlighted and the poor play of Danny Green highlights why the team might need an elite shooter or a great shooting third all-star (if they can swing something for someone like Victor Oladipo).
Caruso can take the mantle of being the young player that the Lakers really focus on developing into a potential all-star player. Kuzma only has one more year of team control anyway until he is a restricted free agent, so this upcoming offseason really is the time to make a deal.
Again, this does not guarantee that Kuzma will be on the move this offseason, but it sure is likely that his name will be in trade rumors once more.