Kyle Kuzma was probably the best player out of the Lakers’ young core during the 2018-19 season. At 23, he averaged 18.7 PPG and 5.5 REB on 45.6 FG% and 30.3 3PT%. So when the Lakers cleaned house last summer in their Anthony Davis power play, Kuzma was the lone man standing. Between himself, Lonzo Ball, and Brandon Ingram, Kuzma was the best off-ball player and had the best chance of meshing with LeBron James and Davis. After a disappointing season, however, it may be time for the Lakers to make a Kyle Kuzma trade too.
Kuzma has averaged just 12.5 PPG and 4.5 REB on 43.3 FG% and 29.7 3PT% in 54 games this year. His minutes per game have fallen to 24.6 from the 33.1 he received last season. He’s even lost his starting spot. For the record, however, it’s not that Kuzma has gotten markedly worse at basketball. He’s just not a good fit for the Lakers’ current timeline.
The original plan was to bring Kuzma along as the third option. He could also be a failsafe for the future in case the team somehow blew up in their faces. Ideally, Kuzma could play power forward while Davis played center.
Clearly that hasn’t worked out.
Davis’ weekly trips to the locker room after suffering yet another scary fall in-game have been a pattern since New Orleans. With only two 70+ game seasons in his career, Los Angeles wants to preserve their star big man. Playing center intensifies the physical toll basketball takes on Davis’ body, and even if he’s most effective at the five, the Lakers may only decide to play him there full time in the playoffs. Davis has even voiced his preference for playing power forward, and as a result, the Lakers have obliged with starting Javale McGee at center.
Kuzma’s natural position is also power forward. He’s not quick enough to play small forward, and the few minutes with Kuzma as the small-ball center have been brutal. The Lakers have tried to rectify the logjam by bringing Kuzma off the bench, but there’s something intrinsically flawed with that notion. Kuzma isn’t Toni Kukoc or Lou Williams – that microwave scoring sixth man who creates his own shot at will. Kuzma’s strong suit is his intelligent off-ball game, which is the main reason the Lakers kept him in the first place. He’s an adept and timely cutter who understands floor-spacing with a knack for finding the open spot. Being in the right place at the right time is the core of his game. Shot creation isn’t Kuzma’s forte, given his average dribbling ability and athleticism.
The proof is in Kuzma’s stats when he starts opposed to when he comes off the bench. In the seven games that he’s started this year with Davis out with injury, Kuzma has averaged 20.3 PPG on 47.0 FG% and 34.1 3PT% in 32.7 MPG. With Davis in the lineup and Kuzma coming off the bench, he’s averaged just 11.3 PPG on 42.3 FG% and 14.0 3PT% in only 23.4 MPG.
The Lakers aren’t elite with Kuzma and Davis on the court together either. They’re 1.4 points better per 100 possessions with the two on the court. This positive, of course, but that number considerably pales when juxtaposed with the overall +7.4 net rating per 100 the Lakers are on the season.
This doesn’t mean Kuzma is incompatible with Davis. It just hasn’t worked out this particular season. But it’s not like the problems with their fit are going to go away by next year. Davis will still likely prefer playing power forward, and the Lakers will still have to bring Kuzma off the bench. At no stage of Kuzma’s college or NBA career has he shown the potential to be an above-average shot creator and to expect a major leap in his ball-handling would be ambitious and unreasonable. The Lakers simply won’t be capitalizing on Kuzma by bringing him off the bench. The Lakers should maximize his time playing with LeBron as much as possible, which is impossible if he doesn’t start.
Kuzma may still grow into a capable third option on a championship team, but it’s not going to happen in his current role. He needs stars around him to maximize his talent. The Lakers aren’t doing Kuzma any favors with the forced pressure to turn into the isolation scorer he’ll likely never be. Situations like this can damage confidence and even stunt players’ growth if they’re not in the right situation to succeed.
Kuzma isn’t even integral to the Lakers’ current success either. The Lakers’ offensive rating rises from 113.1 to 114.6 per 100 possessions when Kuzma plays versus when he sits. Their defensive rating is 0.7 points per 100 possessions worse when Kuzma plays, from 106.8 to 106.1. These stats aren’t evidence that Kuzma makes the Lakers worse, but they’re proof he doesn’t make them significantly better either. It doesn’t help that Kuzma’s three point-percentage has dropped to just 29.7% this year, and the whole reason why the Lakers kept Kuzma in the first place was his shooting potential.
He’s still just 24 years old and has intriguing trade value. There are plenty of teams who would be interesting in trading for Kuzma. As invincible as LeBron James has been so far, Father Time wins every time. At 35, the Lakers have a championship window. Preparing for the future shouldn’t come at the cost of their current title goals. This is especially true when their chances at a ring are so high.
A Kuzma trade could potentially return a valuable 3-and-D wing or another ball-handler to take the load of James. Kuzma isn’t the player they need right now. He’s better off on a different team that will give him a consistent role. For Kuzma’s sake and their own championship aspirations, the Lakers should turn Kuzma into a more valuable win-now role player.
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