The Los Angeles Lakers are in a tough spot heading into the 2022-23 season because the team was not able to trade Russell Westbrook this season. Westbrook has committed to doing “anything it takes” for the Lakers to win, but fans have to see it before they believe it.
It is hard to completely shake the nasty feeling from last season, especially with how Westbrook played. The front office was unable to add much to the roster, either, as the team is restricted by having Westbrook’s $47.1 million contract on the books.
This all stems from the team’s decision to trade actual NBA assets for Westbrook just over a year ago. Los Angeles traded three legitimate rotation players as well as a first-round pick for Westbrook and now, the team cannot even trade Westbrook away despite attaching a pick to him.
One of those rotation players was Kyle Kuzma, who threw some honest shade towards that initial Westbrook trade when speaking about Lakers fans. Kuzma said that Lakers fans probably wish he was still in LA, and quite frankly, he might not be wrong.
As the old saying goes, you never know what you had until it is gone. Fans definitely didn’t appreciate Kuzma as much as they should have and any fan would redo that trade in a heartbeat if they had the chance.
The Los Angeles Lakers would do anything to have a wing like Kyle Kuzma.
Did Kyle Kuzma have his flaws as a player? Yes. Was he a bit overhyped by the fanbase after his solid rookie season? Also yes. But at the end of the day he was an athletic, slashing wing that could make plays at the rim and could hit the occasional three.
Not only that, but when he was really tasked to play defense he could handle his own. Sure, he made a lot of mistakes that lowered his defensive ability, but when the Lakers needed him to buckle down during the 2020 title run that is exactly what he did.
He was just fine in his role. He was never going to be the third scoring option that fans wanted him to be but as a rotational wing that could play 25 minutes a game in the playoffs? Kuzma was sold. And right now, the Lakers are missing that dynamic. This is a roster that has virtually no wings, nobody who can defend, and worst of all, nobody who can shoot.
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Kyle Kuzma is 100% right, fans should wish that he was still in Los Angeles. Not only would the Lakers have a role player that they desperately lack, but they wouldn’t have Russell Westbrook on the roster.