3. Including Josh Hart in the Anthony Davis trade instead of Kyle Kuzma
There is this common misconception among Laker fans that the Lakers could have kept one of Brandon Ingram or Lonzo Ball and traded Kyle Kuzma instead. While the Lakers did want to keep Kuzma at the time, he did not have as much value as either of those players.
Instead, Kuzma’s value was more in line with Josh Hart. In fact, you could make the case that Kuzma was worth more than Hart, so the Lakers probably could have gotten away with including Kuzma over Hart and keeping one of the picks they sent to New Orleans.
Regardless if that was the case, Hart would have still been a much better fit on the Lakers than Kuzma. Kuzma has had his moments over the last two seasons but he really has not been anything special.
Now, with his extension kicking in next season, a Kyle Kuzma trade seems more likely than ever. Meanwhile, Hart is reportedly looking for a new home as a restricted free agent this offseason. Perhaps the Lakers could have kept Hart and everyone would have been happy.
Hart is one of the most underrated role players in the league and his presence as a combo guard off the bench would have been great for LA. He is a much better shooter and defender than Kyle Kuzma, both of which are extremely important in a LeBron James-led team.
Would Hart have changed the fate of the Lakers this past season? Probably not. But unless the Lakers can get a great return for a deal that Kuzma is in, the team may regret not committing to Josh Hart long-term instead.