Like many other NBA teams, the offseason is a very busy time of year and for the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers will have their hands full during this time as they will have many things to consider when it comes to their roster.
A big portion of the roster is due a new contract and there is trade possibility as well. The only three players that are likely totally safe to be on next year’s roster are LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
The rest is up in the air. Should they stay, or should they go? Let’s start with the youngest Lakers.
Which players should stay and which should go on the Los Angeles Lakers?
Kyle Kuzma
I feel like a broken record. To make things quite short and sweet, the Los Angeles Lakers have to move him. This would be a perfect time to do so. After all, he didn’t perform well in the short postseason they had in which they were knocked out by the Phoenix Suns.
Kuzma seemed to be invisible during this time. He did have his moments during the season when he played well at times. Especially when the injury bug had hit the Lakers very hard. Kuzma had games when he was the leading scorer and even had some games where he rebounded quite well.
That all being said, let’s talk facts. He hasn’t performed as well as he could or should. There is no reason why he is not averaging at least 15 points a game or more. Now is the time to send him to a team where he can hopefully add some type of star power to their roster and in return, the Lakers can get some solid value.
Kuzma is making $13 million a year. His current contract expires in 2024. Better to move him now. It could help the Lakers free up some of the money and perhaps use it toward a free agent or they could trade for another player.
Verdict: Go
Alex Caruso
How can you not like him? He is one of those players that when he is in the game, good things do happen. Caruso hustles all the time and is all heart. We know he can run the offense, shoot the ball, go to the basket, jump, play defense, and hustle. He is also a very cerebral player that seems to have a great amount of basketball knowledge.
LeBron loves playing with him as do various other Lakers players. Alex Caruso is also a fan favorite. I think the Lakers should move on him very quickly as many other teams could possibly swoon in and try and steal him away.
People can talk all they want about stats, but at the end of the day what matters is how hard he plays and the results he brings. He is a well-balanced player that has many talents. We know he can run the point full time if he has to. Caruso is an unselfish player. (Quite rare in today’s game.)
If the Lakers are not able to bring back Dennis Schroder, it could possibly open up more time for Caruso.
Verdict: Stay
Talen Horton-Tucker
He’s only 20 years old! This is a kid that has a lot of talent as well as a large amount of upside. Once again we saw him take a large step forward this past season as he stepped up well and developed his game a lot more.
Head coach Frank Vogel did a great job bringing him along this season. At times, he looked like a veteran. Of course, there are things that he has to improve on when it comes to his game. One of them is his shot selection. THT at times would take erratic shots. He also has to improve his three-point shot.
An average of 28% from three-point is something he has to bring upward. Of course, this was his first full season playing at the rate at which he did. He also turns the ball over at times and must improve on that as well. I think a lot of this comes with experience, of course, and he will get a lot more of that as the Lakers have high hopes for him in the future.
The Lakers will resign him as he is only going to get much better. If things work out a certain way, we could possibly see him in the starting five. Hopefully, over the summer months, he works on his game even more.
Verdict: Stay