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Lakers: The effort to understand the toxicity surrounding Kyle Kuzma

By Ronald Agers

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 09: Kyle Kuzma #0 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during the second quarter against the Miami Heat in Game Five of the 2020 NBA Finals at AdventHealth Arena at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on October 9, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 09: Kyle Kuzma #0 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during the second quarter against the Miami Heat in Game Five of the 2020 NBA Finals at AdventHealth Arena at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on October 9, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /
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Kyle Kuzma
(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

Kyle Kuzma was one of only two players on the roster that could be traded. Fun fact: The other one got traded! 

The NBA news cycle about trades will always be near two campfires. One, the Los Angeles Lakers and two, any team that has LeBron James on the roster. It’s not just an opinion, it’s an easily researchable fact.

Kyle Kuzma’s trade rumors started as soon as the Los Angeles Lakers started with their conquest to poach Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans. When he survived the first round of acquisitions, Kuzma was good as gone to many NBA pundits at the trading deadline. Here’s why.

Danny Green and Kyle Kuzma were the only players on the roster that NBA GMs believed could be moved last season. Read what ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said last year.

"The Lakers also have a real problem in a lack of trade assets. They aren’t permitted to trade any first-round pick, and they don’t have a second-round pick available until 2023. They don’t have many tradable pieces, and three tradable players — Rondo, JaVale McGee and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope — have no-trade clauses. Long story short, they have to play the buyout market, and even then, they currently don’t have a roster spot to sign anyone. Their two biggest trade assets, league executives believe, are Kuzma and Danny Green, but both play important roles."

Lake Show Life knew Kyle Kuzma was going nowhere last year. Why? It was close to impossible to fit a one on one deal with a team with Kuz’s $1.9 million contract. Plus, the Lakers were holding out for Andre Iguodala and Darren Collison. But then history teaches us that trade rumors are not always reality.

  • Andre Iguodala was traded from Memphis in a deal that included Dion Waiters. (Waiters was immediately waived!).
  • Darren Collison stayed retired!
  • Rob Pelinka signed Markieff Morris after he was released from the Detroit Pistons.
  • Dion Waiters was signed just before the NBA shutdown.
  • J.R. Smith was signed just before the NBA restart in the bubble. 
  • Danny Green was traded when the free agency season started for Dennis Schroder. 

NBA general managers are required to look at all options to improve their respective rosters for a great price. The Lakers will field calls for anyone on the roster not named LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Just because the rumors were floating around never meant Kuzma’s departure.

Bottom line: Kyle Kuzma is coveted around the league for his upside potential at the price the Lakers were paying him. By the way, other teams can leak false rumors too. How many Alex Caruso for Derrick Rose rumors did you hear around last year’s trade deadline?

There was only one trade scenario last month that made any sense. Read on to see what it was and when the players were attached.

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