The Los Angeles Lakers may have fallen on rough times as of late, but they can at least take solace in the fact that Kyle Kuzma has continued to thrive.
While most teams are looking to gear up for the 2019-20 NBA season, a few of the league’s most talented players will be gathering to place their bids for a spot on Team USA this summer. The 2019 FIBA World Cup is just around the corner and is set to take place in China.
The training camp allows the NBA’s elite to get some work in against each other while the powers will assemble the best roster out of the bunch. It appears the Lakers will be represented by one of their homegrown players.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Kuzma is among the notable players expected to take part in this year’s festivities:
Among additional players expected to join USA Basketball’s training camp in August on way to a roster spot in September’s FIBA World Cup in China: Bradley Beal, Eric Gordon, Kyle Kuzma, Damian Lillard, Brook Lopez, Kevin Love, CJ McCollum and Jayson Tatum.
As if Kuzma was not already joining some elite company, it seems a few other All-Star players such as Anthony Davis and James Harden are expected to turn out as well:
Anthony Davis, Kemba Walker, Donovan Mitchell and James Harden also planning to play for Team USA.
It is encouraging to see the Lakers will have a piece of their young core competing with the best that the NBA has to offer this summer. There is no question that Kuzma is certainly deserving of the opportunity after proving all the doubters wrong and establishing himself as one of the most promising players in the league.
The prospect of Kuzma actually earning a spot on the roster may seem a bit far-fetched at this point considering he is among the youngest and most inexperienced players. Regardless, it is still an excellent opportunity for him to further his game and his rapport with some of the other All-Star players in the league.
Although Kuzma has only been in the league for two seasons, the 23-year-old has endured his fair share of trials and tribulations thus far. Despite his early success, there has been plenty of speculation regarding his future in Los Angeles after his name had been tied to trade rumors during the 2018-19 NBA season.