The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly are among the teams that are interested in Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma.
“In Washington, forward Kyle Kuzma is viewed as one of the team leaders who keeps the Wizards competitive while helping to build the development of the other young players around him as a forward who can score and defend,” HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto wrote.
“Teams around the league believe the 29-year-old forward is worth monitoring as a trade candidate due to his skillset and declining salary over the next two years while in his prime years. Executives around the league also believe Kuzma doesn’t fit the long-term timeline of Washington’s young core.
“The Dallas Mavericks nearly traded for Kuzma last season before pivoting to acquisitions of PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford. The Indiana Pacers were interested in Kuzma before swinging a blockbuster trade to acquire Pascal Siakam. The Sacramento Kings have also been linked to Kuzma for the past two seasons.
“Other teams who’ve kept tabs on Kuzma include the [Milwaukee] Bucks, [Golden State] Warriors, Lakers, [Miami] Heat, and [Cleveland] Cavaliers, HoopsHype has learned.”
Kuzma has a reasonable contract, as he signed a four-year, $90 million deal with Washington prior to the 2023-24 season. Kuzma’s contract is also a decreasing deal, meaning he will make less money next season than he does this season and so on.
The Lakers could use Kuzma’s scoring on the wing to help them compete with some of the best teams in the Western Conference this season. Kuzma is averaging 15.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game this season, but he averaged 22.2 points per game last season – a career-high.
A first-round pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, Kuzma began his career with the Lakers, playing with the storied franchise from the 2017-18 season through the 2020-21 campaign.
He was traded prior to the 2021-22 season in the deal that brought guard and former MVP Russell Westbrook to Los Angeles. Prior to being traded by the Lakers, Kuzma helped the team win the NBA title in the 2019-20 season in the Orlando, Fla. bubble.
During the 2019-20 season, Kuzma appeared in 61 games, making nine starts. He averaged 12.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 43.6 percent from the field and 31.6 percent from 3.
For his career, Kuzma averages 17.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 45.1 percent from the field and 33.6 percent from deep.
Bringing Kuzma back to Los Angeles would be an interesting reunion for the Lakers. If they feel that he is an upgrade over Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt or some of the team’s other options on the wing (Cam Reddish, Max Christie to name a few), then it could be worth trying to work out a deal.
Washington is in a serious rebuild and has started the season with a 2-16 record. It likely would want young talent or draft capital from the Lakers in order to move Kuzma.
The Lakers are currently the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference with a 12-8 record through their first 20 games.
