Getty Kyle Kuzma of the Los Angeles Lakers during a game against the Dallas Mavericks.
Kyle Kuzma is getting high praise for a notable NBA player.
Insert Caron Butler.
“I think the Lakers are going to be extremely good,” Butler tells Voice of the Fans’ Cameron Buford.
More via a transcription provided by Dallas Mavericks beat writer, Landon Buford:
“Kyle Kuzma is hurt right now, but once he gets back healthy, that third option being him, will be a viable source. They will treat it the right way.”
A retired 13-year NBA veteran, Butler played for both the Los Angeles Clippers and the Los Angeles Lakers.
During his time with the Lakers, Butler averaged 15.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game.
Butler would eventually be traded away from the Lakers to the Washington Wizards in a deal that brought Kwame Brown to the Lakers. In the deal, the Lakers shipped both Butler and Chucky Atkins to the Wizards in exchange for Brown and Laron Profit.
Butler would find his way back to the City of Angels in 2011 when he signed a three-year deal $24 million deal with the Clippers. to join the Los Angeles Clippers worth $24 million.
The 27th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft out of Utah, Kyle Kuzma has averaged 17.3 points and 5.9 rebounds per game in two seasons for the purple and gold.
He joins a potent Lakers roster looking to make a championship run.
Six Lakers players returned from last season’s Lakers roster James, Kuzma, JaVale McGee, Rondo, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Alex Caruso.
The Lakers also got vets: Lakers newcomers include Anthony Davis, the now injured DeMarcus Cousins, Dwight Howard, Danny Green, Avery Bradley, Jared Dudley, Quinn Cook, Troy Daniels and rookie Talen Horton-Tucker.
The Lakers also have a new head coach in Frank Vogel. NBA Hall of Famer Jason Kidd headlines a list of assistant coaches in Frank Vogel’s stable.
“LeBron, Rondo and those guys, their veteran leadership is going to try and get that continuity together early on and try to get it together and going fast,” retired NBA Champion Dwyane Wade told me earlier this month.
“I feel good,” Lakers forward, Anthony Davis told me.
“I’m ready.”
What’s the plan?
“Do whatever I can to help this team win a championship,” said Davis.
“That’s the main goal. That’s our goal and we are going to come in with the mindset that we’re all thinking. This is the year.”
The Los Angeles Lakers began training camp this month. They begin NBA preseason next month and the NBA’s regular season also begins next month.