A lot of names have been mentioned as possible trade targets for the Los Angeles Lakers as the team looks to bolster the roster around its superstar duo of Anthony Davis and LeBron James. Among all the names mentioned, one undoubtedly raised some eyebrows in former Laker Kyle Kuzma.
Of course Kuzma was a big part of the 2020 Championship team, but the versatile forward was regularly being mentioned in trade rumors. Eventually, the Lakers dealt him to the Wizards in the Russell Westbrook trade and Kuzma has flourished in Washington.
Now with reports of the Lakers possibly being interested in a reunion, Kuzma noted that it says a lot about how good he’s playing while also suggesting there may be a bit of regret in the Lakers moving on from him, via Melissa Rohlin of Fox Sports:
“I think it just shows you the grass is not always greener,” Kuzma told FOX Sports. “It’s definitely a good thing because at the end of the day, that means I’ve been playing well, and I have value in this league, that a team would want to trade for me. It’s a blessing.”
Kuzma has been playing extremely well with the Wizards, averaging career-highs in points, assists and field goal percentage. One thing that has helped Kuzma in Washington has been his consistent role, something he feels he never had while in L.A.
In reflecting on his time with the Lakers Kuzma was extremely grateful for all of the positives that came, but also feels he didn’t get the credit for the sacrifices he made for the betterment of the team and how his role could change on a nightly basis:
“In the position I was in, it was tough being that little bro on the team,” Kuzma said. “One night, you might get 10 shots. The next night, maybe they just need you to rebound. The next night, you might get 15 minutes. The next night, you might get 29 [minutes]. You never know. That’s [not getting] the fair end of the stick.”
There were certainly times where Kuzma became a bit of a scapegoat on the Lakers, but he does make a fair point about his role changing from game to game, filling in different areas for the team depending on the matchup and who was available.
In the end, Kuzma did his job as best he could for the Lakers and it helped the team hoist the championship in 2020. Now in Washington, he has been able to show just how good he can be when featured as a primary option and maybe it is that which has piqued the Lakers’ interest in bringing Kuzma back to the purple and gold.
Lakers’ ultimate ‘pie-in-the-sky’ scenario is acquiring Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard, or Bradley Beal
Kuzma is among the many quality role players being mentioned as possibilities for the Lakers to target via trade, but the Lakers franchise has always been about stars and they will always keep their eyes open for those potential massive deals.
The latest reports suggest that the Lakers ‘ultimate pie-in-the-sky’ scenario is finding a way to acquire Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant, Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard or Wizards All-Star Bradley Beal should any of them come available. Of course a deal of that nature is far less likely than a smaller one that will bring in a role player or two.
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