Fit for a trip to the Los Angeles 🔥
Los Angeles Lakers Reunite With Kyle Kuzma
Throughout the entire season, the Los Angeles Lakers have been actively searching for new players to add to their squad. The Lakers have a future selection at their disposal and several young players with tradeable contracts in the middle of their contract years, putting them in a strong position to make a trade. They will be picky about who they trade for since it might be the final big deal involving LeBron James.
Great players have slipped through the Lakers’ fingers and became contributions elsewhere in the NBA, but losing Kyle Kuzma was the most devastating. Despite his significant role in the 2020–21 Lakers championship run, Kuzma was transferred to the Washingtоn Wizards for Russell Westbrook after being blamed for the team’s disappointing 2020–21 season. Since then, he’s gone all out for the Wizards, but they’ve been one of the worst teams in the NBA.
Reports indicate that the Wizards are considering trade proposals for Kyle Kuzma, thus the Lakers will need to re-sign a player who complements LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Product Specifics
Received by the Washingtоn Wizards: D’Angelo Russell, Taurean Prince, and LAL’s First-Round Pick in 2029
Received by the Los Angeles Lakers: Kyle Kuzma
The Lakers were able to get Westbrook without trading a first-round pick to the Wizards, but they will need to give up a first-round pick in order to re-sign Kuzma, who brings a dynamic combination of skill and hustle to the court.
A Total Collapse by the WizardsBecause the Pistons and the Spurs have been so bad, the Wizards have managed to surpass expectations and become the worst club in the NBA. They were already doomed from the start with Jordan Poole and Kyle Kuzma as a tandem; Kuzma was an incorrect choice to be the team’s starting point forward. In this capacity, he has proven he can be a 20-10 dаnger on a nightly basis, but his abilities will really shine when paired with players who can set him up.
Although the Lakers could be outbidden, the components they provide could spark more moves, allowing the Wizards to get the most out of their trades. As a starter this season, Taurean Prince has averaged 10.1 points and 2.8 rebounds. The Wizards should ask for him, either to mentor Bilal Coulibaly or sell him for more assets and picks.
The key cog in the salary-matching machine will be D’Angelo Russell, who averages 14.8 points, 2.9 boards, and 6.1 assists per game. The Wizards would be better off with a short-term deal so they can help him determine his trade value this season before trading him in the summer. Given the uncertainty surrounding the futures of guards like Tyus Jones and Poole, Jalen Hood-Schifino may find Washingtоn to be his permanent home due to his high upside.
The Lakers Bring Back Their Trusted All-Star WingLakers scouts have been extra cautious since the failed trade for Russell Westbrook. A deal for Kuzma is the latest example of their efforts to add complimentary pieces to the table. Kuzma, a starter with an extremely high motor who was willing to do all it took to help the Lakers become a title contender in 2020, was a member of the team.
Kuzma has improved his game over the past 2.5 years, and this season he is averaging 23.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 4.3 assists. Having become a three-level scorer with a highly dependable jumper, he is much more assured as a scorer than he was in his previous season with the Lakers. On a losing Wizards team, his defense has been poor, but he still shows flashes of great defense at any position. The Lakers are in Ô€ire need of a versatile forward like him because of Jarred Vanderbilt and Rui Hachimura, who can only play in one direction.
In this lineup, Kuzma would start next to James in the frontcourt, or Austin Reaves and one of Hachimura or Vanderbilt would join Kuzma and Anthony Davis, allowing James to play point guard again. This would provide them a defensive ceiling boost and an additional scoring option, both of which the Lakers’ current trade targets lack.
Would Los Angeles Make the Correct Decision?Zach LaVine and Dejounte Murray are the Lakers’ top guard targets right now, but they’ve largely targeted guards all season. However, the Lakers still have time to improve their frontcourt depth and return James to his 2020 form as the team’s principal playmaker. While James is busy as the team’s principal playmaker and splitting time between Reaves and the ball, the Lakers can bolster their guard corps with players like Jaylen Nowell, who can score and assist with ball handling.
With Kuzma’s versatility, the Lakers now have additional lineup options, since he can play small-ball five in some situations. The Lakers probably won’t employ him in that capacity, but he can be an excellent bench player while LeBron and AD are in the game, giving the team greater leeway to start players when they need to rest.
With a record of 17-17 and the 10th Western seed, the Lakers would surely be able to begin climbing the standings with a trade like this.