The Los Angeles Lakers have gone all in on the 2019-20 season. It all began when they finally managed to pry Anthony Davis from the clutches (Klutches?) of New Orleans Pelicans, that sent pretty much all the Lakers not named LeBron James to the Pelicans along with a ton of picks and pick swaps. The only young player left in the aftermath of the trade, was the oldest of the lot; Kyle Kuzma. The Lakers have always liked Kuzma. He is the late 1st round pick that made the 1st team all-rookie and on the nights that he has it going it feels like he has Ingram-like potential on a team better suited to his style.
This Laker team however can not and will not play as per Kuzma’s style. They have LeBron James and Anthony Davis, so Kyle Kuzma has to play the role of a slasher or corner shooter, both of which he can be decent at (slashing more than shooting, which has been on and off), but are roles that do not exploit the 3rd star potential that he really has. So, it was both surprising and not surprising that Kuzma was the Laker most discussed during the trade deadline, but also was the player to not move, as the Lakers made no moves at the deadline.
Kyle Kuzma among the Laker fans is known as a non-evil version of the Little Finger ala Game of Thrones. The front office believes him to be their big achievement, thanks to the value they got from a lowly 27 pick. Kuzma has also embraced LA completely with his dressing styles, his grooming habits and the holy grail – training over the summer of 2018 with Kobe Bryant. He has also been pictured having private dinners with Jeanie Buss and that can’t hurt. None of this is to say Kuzma is untradeable, but he has done everything right in the eyes of the Front Office for them to not sell low on him, as they have done in the past with other young players they have drafted.
The best targets the Lakers had this window were Marcus Morris and Robert Covington, but the Lakers valued Kuzma higher than Covington and at least on par with Morris, but given his extremely low salary of $2 million, the Lakers would have to attach the likes of Danny Green, Avery Bradley & DeMarcus Cousins with Kuzma for salary matching purposes and the Lakers were definitely not going to give an asset they valued highly (Kuzma) for another parallel asset (Covington/Morris) while also having to give up other assets (Green, Bradley, Cousins).
So Kyle Kuzma stayed a Laker and the Lakers will look to the buyout market for retooling the squad, which is in need for a positive on-ball creator for when LeBron rests and a defensive wing to throw at Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in the playoffs. Darren Collison would have been an ideal candidate to take on that first role, with his well rounded game, where he could be a spot up shooter with LeBron on the floor, while being the primary ball handler with LeBron off the court, while also providing solid defense. Rajon Rondo is an abject failure on most nights in filling this role and the Lakers play like a non-playoff team when LeBron sits.
Kuzma’s value to the Lakers team is in a unique position. His contract is locked up through the 2020-21 season when he will be making only $3.5 million, making his value very high to the Lakers next season. If Rondo, KCP and Avery Bradley pick up their player options and the Lakers re-sign Anthony Davis, they will already be over the cap, so unless they make a big trade (unlikely given their lack of assets), Lakers best shot at finding help for Davis and LeBron, if they don’t win the title this season, is to hope Kuzma takes a big step up. Without that, they will be stuck in the same position. Keep holding on to Kuzma and hope to get the best out of him at some point, without tailoring much of the offense around his game. Or move him to a different team with a couple of important role players in an attempt to land a 3rd star next to LeBron and AD, which does not seem easy without the addition of some picks, that Lakers do not possess.
It is fair to say the next 30 odd games and the play offs will be crucial in deciding where Kuzma ends up. Despite all his dinners with Jeanie and all the love from Pelinka, Kuzma knows this is LeBron James’ team or Anthony Davis’ team when he re-signs over the summer. And if the team feels there is a player better suited to the strengths and weaknesses of Davis and LeBron, the Lakers won’t hesitate to move Kuzma; especially if the third star is the reason the Lakers end up losing the NBA title this season.
Sport Microcosm 