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If there is one thing that Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma knows about, it is the NBA trade-rumor mill. At this time last year, remember, Kuzma was at the head of the class when it came to trade rumors, with teams from Detroit to Sacramento to New York said to have inquired about possible deals. The previous year, remember, it was the nonstop Anthony Davis chatter that seemed to have Kuzma bound for New Orleans.
In the meantime, Kuzma helped the Lakers to an NBA championship, got himself a ring, survived the offseason trade market and also got himself a new contract, worth $40 million over three years. That extension won’t kick in until next season, meaning he is almost impossible to trade under NBA rules until the summer of 2021.
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Almost.
Yes, Kuzma’s name is still surfacing in trade rumors. But have no fear—he is used to that by now.
“I’ve kind of gotten to the point where I’ve kind of been numb to it,” Kuzma said this week. “Going through my career, just about since I was a rookie I’ve been in trade rumors, so at a certain point you really get numb to it, so that’s something that doesn’t really bother me.
Kuzma Had a Hot Start for the Lakers
Certainly, it would be understandable that Kuzma would find himself on the trade market. He has been good, at times, during the Lakers’ early season, but as has been the case over the past two seasons, he has also been inconsistent.
In his first three games this season, Kuzma was looking like the ideal third option many hoped he would become for the Lakers this year. Kuzma averaged 16.0 points in those games, shooting 55.9% from the field and an incredible 61.5% from the 3-point line.
Kuzma was especially effective when given a starting opportunity against Minnesota on Sunday, with Anthony Davis sitting out because of a calf injury. In those games—when either Davis or James sits out because of an injury or to prepare for a back-to-back situation—Kuzma knows he needs to seize his opportunity.
“Obviously we’ve got two superstars, and rightfully so,” Kuzma said. “If one of those guys is out, I just have more opportunity. Just having more opportunity. Every time I have an opportunity, I just try to seize the moment and take it full on.
“A season like this, playing back-to-backs, Coach and the organization being conservative with ‘Bron and A.D., just allows me to work on my game and bring to life what I work on every day.”
But the last two games have shown the flip side of Kuzma. He is shooting 25.0% from both the field (4-for-16) and the 3-point line (3-for-12) in the past two games. He has scored a total of 12 points in the two games.
Kuzma Likely Safe With the Lakers This Season
As numb as he might be to rumors, Kuzma is likely safe in Los Angeles for this season. Any deal for Kuzma is almost certain to wait until the offseason. In fact, there is a strong chance that the Lakers make no trades ahead of the league’s March 25 deadline.
Certainly, if some sort of blockbuster deal does become available, the Lakers would pounce. They have tradeable contracts in those of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (three years, $39 million, final year not fully guaranteed), Dennis Schroder (one year, $15 million) and Montrezl Harrell (two years, $19 million, with a player option). They do not, however, have much in the cupboard as far as draft picks go—the Lakers can’t trade a first-rounder until 2024, and even then it would be conditional because the Pelicans have the right to take the Lakers’ pick that year.
The Lakers do have an open roster spot and most likely, that spot will wait until after the deadline to be filled, with a free agent. The chances that anything happens with Kuzma before then are remote.
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