The Los Angeles Lakers and forward Kyle Kuzma recently struck an agreement on a contraction extension worth $40 million for the next three years.
On Monday, the youngster shared that part of his thinking was to be aligned with Lakers superstar LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Kyle Kuzma said aligning his contract with LeBron and AD was a factor in his decision to sign an extension. He wants to compete for championships and continue to grow as a player before the option to enter free agency in his prime.
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) December 21, 2020
Kuzma, 25, was a reliable part of the Lakers bench rotation during their 2020 championship run.
The Lakers took care of most of their key contributors from their title squad in the offseason.
James, 35, inked a massive two-year extension. In addition, Davis secured a lucrative five-year deal with the Lakers.
Now, the Lakers have James, Davis and Kuzma locked up for the next few years. The franchise will be a contender for a while.
Apparently, Kuzma wanted more money from the Lakers before he ultimately decided to lower his asking price. He was the No. 27 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.
The 6-foot-8 pro has career averages of 16.0 points and 5.5 boards per game.
