Los Angeles Lakers: Kyle Kuzma may be the odd man out

Kyle Kuzma will be the odd man out for the Los Angeles Lakers

Kyle Kuzma is a name that elicits a multitude of reactions from Los Angeles Lakers fans. The once bright spot on a hopeless Lakers team from a few years back has not developed into the star many once thought he could be.

To say Kuzma has plateaued would be pre-mature as his role has shifted more than a few times in his three years as a pro. With rumors that Kuzma is expecting a sizable contract extension, it may be time for the Lakers to look for trade options before overpaying a very flawed player.

When you think of Kyle Kuzma, there is no one skill he particularly excels at. While he averages pretty decent scoring numbers, most of those numbers are slightly inflated. Two of his highest-scoring years came on bad teams, so it was more of good numbers on a bad team situation.

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Kuzma averaged 12.8 points per game while shooting a lackluster 44 percent from the field and 31 percent shooting from 3-point range in 2019-20. Those percentages look even worse when you consider LeBron James and Anthony Davis draw most of the defense’s attention.

The flaws in Kuzma’s game don’t end at being slightly inefficient in his scoring. What is even more infuriating is his low assist numbers. Over the course of his career, Kuzma averages less than two assists per game.

Kuzma has never in his three years in the league had a Defensive Rating lower than his Offensive Rating. His value over a replacement player has gone down each of his three years. With his VORP being -0.02 this year despite being on a team that won the NBA Finals.

More advanced stats just prove he is not worthy of a massive contract. Even the most basic advanced stat of PER (player efficiency rating), he has never been higher than 14.2, and 15 is considered average.

Couple that with the fact he is redundant at his position, being a forward on a team with two great forwards in LeBron and Davis. Then, include he is a poor rebounder for his size; he’s 6-foot-8 and only averaged 4.5 rebounds for his career.

Handing Kuzma a massive contract would only cause problems. He has never come close to being an All-Star and you would pay him like he is one. You would have to assume at 26 years old that he is what he is as a player, that he would most likely improve very little.

The Lakers just proved they can find buyout players to sign for the veteran’s minimum that offer similar input. Look at Markieff Morris, he is a more well-rounded Kuzma, who they picked up for basically nothing. Morris, not Kuzma, was the one playing in crunch time during the NBA Finals.

Trading Kuzma might be the best option for the Lakers as they are currently over the cap and still need to improve the roster. The restart bubble showed the Lakers really needed more guard depth as the absence of Avery Bradley became more and more clear as time went on. Packaging Kuzma and Danny Green for a more established guard would be a smarter investment for the Lakers moving forward.

Kyle Kuzma has some talent and has received a lot of criticism while playing in LA. The petition to not give him a ring was out of line by Lakers fans. Having some talent and having been on a championship team does not mean you deserve a massive contract. The Lakers would be giving up a lot of flexibility if they gave Kuzma the massive deal he desires. The more likely deal for Kuzma is being dealt out of town.