The Los Angeles Lakers have stayed quiet since the announcement by Magic Johnson that he would be stepping down as president of basketball operations.
With general manager Rob Pelinka currently looking for a new head coach, there are questions about the future of a number of players with the offseason underway.
For Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, and Brandon Ingram, there is a level of uncertainty — especially with the belief the Lakers will once again pursue a trade for Anthony Davis.
However, when it comes to Kuzma, his future with the Lakers sounds relatively assured as Pelinka reportedly told him that he would only be traded on one condition, according to Bill Oram of The Athletic:
Kuzma and his people came away from their chat feeling reassured, a source close to the situation told The Athletic. Pelinka told the second-year forward that he was key to the Lakers’ future and that, unless it was a trade for one of the game’s three best players, he wasn’t trading him.
The biggest question regarding this is who are considered the three best players in the league. The Davis trade talks will surely kick up again this summer and many would have him in that class.
Kuzma and the entire young core were reportedly brought up in rumored deals for Davis ahead of the 2018-19 NBA trade deadline, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if he were again mentioned should the two sides engage this offseason.
Without a doubt, Kuzma has proven himself to be a valuable piece for the Lakers and a player the franchise wants around as they continue to build. However, if the Lakers can grab one of those big names and have to let go of Kuzma to do it, they seem willing to do so.