Past Los Angeles Lakers champion and current Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma has been linked to the Lakers this off-season in trade talks. The Lakers traded Kuzma away in 2021. Despite that, Kuzma has fond memories of his time and spoke glowingly of being a part of the purple and gold.
Former Lakers Champion Gives Tribute to Former Franchise
From Champion to Trade Chip
Kuzma, who won a championship with the Lakers in 2020, played a vital role in the bubble playoffs. It wasn’t before long though, that Kuzma was no longer a Laker. GM Rob Pelinka traded him away in a deal that brought in Russell Westbrook during the 2021 off-season. That move has become a thorn in Pelinka’s side since, and deservedly so.
In three seasons with Washington, Kuzma has done well for himself. The seven-year forward and former Lakers champion averaged 20+ points in two of those seasons. Last season was a career-best for him, averaging 22.1 points on 46.3% from the floor—also a career-high. Over this summer, Kuzma’s name has popped up here and there in trade rumors. However, nothing more has materialized other than quiet hypotheticals. One team that has been included in those rumors is Kuzma’s previous team, the Lakers.
What Trading For Kuzma Would Do For LA
Reacquiring Kuzma, a former Lakers champion, would likely be an upgrade. Any proposed or rumored trade would indeed include D’Angelo Russell, whom LA has been interested in dealing. Vaulting up to legitimate contender status might be too far of a leap, but Kuzma would enhance the Lakers roster to a solid degree. Kuzma has already experienced playing alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and there is comfort and familiarity with them. It also helps that the three players won an NBA title together.
Kuzma has evolved and grown as a player in his time in Washington. If the Lakers did pull the trigger and land Kuzma back in LA, not only would the season outlook change in a big way, but a trade to the Lakers would also change things for Kuzma. He would go from playing for a bottom-of-the-conference, non-playoff contending team to a Lakers team that can contend and is maybe a victim of being overshadowed in the NBA.
Kuzma Acknowledges Personal Growth While in LA
Amid trade rumors and possible trade packages being tossed around on the internet, Kuzma went on record this week to praise James and Davis and reflect on his time in Los Angeles. Speaking about that experience, Kuzma referenced being a Laker in one of his life’s most important times.
“Everything — how to be a pro. How to motivate people, how to work, how to be a businessman, so many things. And I think that was one of the most important times of my life — taking a backseat and really watching and learning. And I think everything I’ve done then, I’m doing now, and trying to pay it forward and give it to people, too.”
The former Lakers champion has spent the previous three seasons outside the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. It may be in a proverbial prison where one builds character and learns to become the best version of oneself—growing, thriving, and evolving in a way that may not have been possible in a space lacking room. One could argue that playing alongside LeBron and Davis did not afford Kuzma room to grow. However, after being exiled to Washington, Kuzma took what he observed in LA and applied those things to himself and his situation with a new team.
Bringing Back Former Lakers Champion
Simply put, the Lakers need to do something. That’s not using Kuzma’s name as a last resort or painting him as a “he was all we could get” type of player. Kuzma has earned more respect than that. But the Lakers do need to make a move. Running it back with Russell won’t change their stars next season. Kuzma might be the piece they need. You’ll remember that the Lakers did everything to keep Kuzma out of the Anthony Davis trade with New Orleans—that’s how much they valued him—only to ship him off later. It’s time they rectify that mistake.
