Report: NBA executive ‘surprised’ Lakers didn’t trade Kyle Kuzma this offseason

The Los Angeles Lakers made a flurry of moves this offseason, but they held onto forward Kyle Kuzma.

Kuzma, 25, had a down season last year. He averaged just 12.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game after averaging 18.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game during the 2018-19 season.

The addition of Anthony Davis certainly cut into Kuzma’s production.

However, the Lakers are in win-now mode and won the title last season with the help of Davis.

That seems to have put Kuzma’s development as a budding star on hold, and one NBA executive was surprised that the Lakers didn’t move on from Kuzma this offseason.

The executive explained why to The Athletic’s Sam Amick.

“I think [Dennis] Schröder was a really good pickup for them,” the executive said. “I’m surprised (fourth-year forward Kyle) Kuzma is still on the roster. I thought they’d be moving him … because of chemistry stuff. But the Lakers got better. They’re one year older, LeBron [James] is one year older, but I still think they got better. They got KCP (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope) back, who was good.”

The Lakers will go into the 2020-21 season with Kuzma on the roster, but if an upgrade is available, it is possible that the Lakers could move the young forward.

The 2020-21 season is set to begin on Dec. 22.