10 Former players that have excelled since leaving the Los Angles Lakers

7. Kyle Kuzma, Washington Wizards

Yes, the word, "Excelled," can be debated to some extent with this one. Kyle Kuzma has gone from helping the Los Angeles Lakers win a championship in 2019-20 to playing a featured role on one of the worst teams in the NBA in 2023-24.

From an individual perspective, however, Kuzma has become a better and more well-rounded player in the years since he left Los Angeles—and is now a trade target for contenders.

Kuzma played four seasons with the Lakers, experiencing a wide array of success and shortcomings. He finished in the top five in Rookie of the Year voting in 2017-18 and averaged 18.7 points per game in 2018-19. Unfortunately, he averaged just 23.0 minutes played per playoff game in 2019-20.

A year later, Kuzma was traded to the Washington Wizards as a part of the deal that sent Russell Westbrook to Los Angeles. He's since begun to realize his individual potential.

Kuzma averaged 17.1 points and 8.5 rebounds per game during his first season in Washington. Since then, he's taken a leap as a scorer, averaging 21.2 points per game on 44.8 percent shooting in 2022-23, and 22.2 points, as well as a career-best 4.2 assists, on 46.3 percent shooting in 2023-24.

Kuzma hasn't appeared in the Playoffs since leaving the Lakers, but the individual growth has been apparent as he enters the prime of his career.