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Is a reunion in the cards for Kyle Kuzma and the Los Angeles Lakers?
The Lakers’ uneven 12-9 start and the lottery-bound Washington Wizards becoming sellers at the trade deadline could lead to that.
On December 2, Hoopshype’s Michael Scotto reported that the Lakers are among the several NBA teams who have been monitoring Kuzma’s availability.
“The Sacramento Kings have also been linked to Kuzma for the past two seasons. Other teams who’ve kept tabs on Kuzma include the Bucks, Warriors, Lakers, Heat, and Cavaliers, HoopsHype has learned,” Scotto wrote.
Kuzma has one of the team-friendliest contracts in the NBA. He is in the second year of a four-year, $90 million contract. His salary descends every year, with only $19.4 million guaranteed money during the 2026-27 season.
The 6-foot-9 forward is coming off his best individual season in the NBA for one of the league’s worst teams. Last season, the 6-foot-9 forward averaged a career-high 22.2 points per game on top of 6.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists. He’s off to a slow start this season, averaging only 15.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists as the Wizards prioritize developing their young players.
Kuzma’s 27.5-minute playing time is his lowest since he joined the Wizards via the Russell Westbrook trade in 2021.
He was the third-best player in the Lakers’ championship team in 2020, behind stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Last season, Kuzma was the best player for one of the worst teams in the NBA.
The shortened playing time is a clear signal that his time in the nation’s capital may be ending at the trade deadline.
Kuzma is currently out with a left rib sprain.
Kyle Kuzma ‘Would Welcome Return to LA’
In July, Anthony Irwin reported for the Lakers Daily that the team’s most substantive trade talk was with the Wizards, which would bring back Kuzma.
“Washington just last season came very close to trading Kuzma to the Dallas Mavericks but wound up keeping him once Kuzma let it be known he didn’t want to be in Dallas over concerns they weren’t close enough to winning a championship. Unfortunately for him, Dallas played in this year’s championship series. League and team sources have maintained over the last year or so that Kuzma would welcome a return to Los Angeles, just as the Lakers would love to have him back,” Irwin wrote.
Five days after Irwin reported the substantive talks between the Lakers and the Wizards, Kuzma stirred the X social media platform with a tweet.
LA w the vibes 📍
— kuz (@kylekuzma) July 9, 2024
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Kyle Kuzma-D’Angelo Russell Swap Again?
Kuzma was the 27th overall pick in 2017, and was dealt to the Lakers along with Brook Lopez in a Draft Day trade with the Brooklyn Nets for D’Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov.
Kuzma and Russell might get traded for each other for the second time.
Russell’s expiring salary is one of the Lakers’ trade chips.
The Wizards sought multiple first-round picks for Kuzma during last season’s trade deadline, Jake Fischer reported for Yahoo Sports. It is not clear if the Wizards’ asking price has dropped.
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Potential $90 Million Lakers Reunion Picks Up Steam