Getty Los Angeles Lakers forwards LeBron James and Kyle Kuzma
Throughout the 2018-19 NBA season, there was plenty of chatter about the type of teammate LeBron James was with the Los Angeles Lakers. After all, rumblings pointed to the star forward being a part of trying to trade virtually the entire roster for Anthony Davis (obviously, it ultimately wasn’t his call).
While there are likely some Lakers players who didn’t love how things were handled by James during the season, Kyle Kuzma doesn’t appear to be one. Kuzma was asked about whether LeBron is a good teammate on Twitter and responded that he’s a “great teammate,” but trolled the future Hall-of-Famer as well.
Considering Kuzma is still on his rookie contract and made just north of $1.689 million this past season (per Spotrac), he has a pretty good argument here. As for James, he made just over $35.65 million which also doesn’t include the massive number of endorsements he has.
It’s probably fair for Kuzma to assume that LeBron was going to pay for dinner when the two went out.
Kyle Kuzma Among Bright Spots From Disappointing Season
Both James and Kuzma battled injuries at points this season, and the absence of the former may have been what cost the Lakers a playoff spot. Regardless, the team failed to live up to expectations, finishing at 37-45 and are now heading to the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery. While LeBron played in just 55 games, he averaged 27.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 8.3 assists.
As for Kuzma, his play was certainly a bright spot. The 23-year-old forward increased his scoring numbers from year one to year two, averaging 18.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists. Along with those two, Brandon Ingram took strides forward by posting marks of 18.3 points and 5.1 rebounds, while Lonzo Ball had a disappointing ending to his season due to an ankle injury after a strong stretch.
The Lakers may have a completely new-look roster in 2019-20, as the offseason could feature at least one or two trades, specifically to bring Anthony Davis to town. It’s impossible to tell what could pan out, but the Lakers are one of the primary teams to watch this offseason.
Kyle Kuzma’s Future With Lakers
Kuzma was one of the main pieces involved in trade talks for Davis during the year, but obviously, nothing came to fruition. It’s very possible that if the Lakers strike a deal for the New Orleans Pelicans star, and if so, that he’ll be a part of it. Kuzma has a team-friendly deal for the next few seasons with club options in both 2020-21 and 2021-22.
Beyond that, Kuzma has flashed tremendous upside and ability as a scorer with the Lakers. He’s also proven to be capable of playing numerous positions as well, even shifting to center at various points this past season.
Through his first two NBA seasons, the former Utah Utes standout has averaged 17.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting 45.3 percent from the field. His 3-point percentage was down from year one (36.6 to 30.3), but he has the ability to get hot quickly and change games with outside shooting.
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