Report: Kyle Kuzma desired more money from Lakers before dropping his asking price

By Justin Benjamin
Updated: December 21, 2020

The Los Angeles Lakers recently inked Kyle Kuzma to a three-year, $40 million deal extension.

According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com, Kuzma apparently wanted more money from the Lakers.

“Kyle’s asking price was higher, he came down and locked himself in,” Windhorst said on The Hoop Collective podcast.

Kuzma, 25, was the No. 27 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

The forward saw many of his fellow draft colleagues sign massive extensions this past offseason. 2017 NBA Draft products Jayson Tatum, Donovan Mitchell, Bam Adebayo and De’Aaron Fox all landed huge contracts.

Of course, Kuzma’s role on the Lakers has minimized since his breakout sophomore campaign. During the 2018-19 season, the swingman collected a career-best 18.7 points in addition to 5.5 boards and 2.5 assists per game.

Last season, Kuzma averaged just 12.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. He started in just nine games.

The 6-foot-8 pro doesn’t even know what his role will be heading into the new season. Still, Kuzma’s teammates see tremendous potential in him.