The Los Angeles Lakers have seen all sorts of players come through the historic organization and many of them have left with a championship ring to their name. One of the recent players to play for the Lakers and win a ring is forward Kyle Kuzma.
Kuzma spent four seasons with the Lakers after being traded to Los Angeles in a draft-day deal. He became an important member of the squad and helped them win the title in the 2020 season.
In a major deal that included Russell Westbrook, Los Angeles traded Kuzma to the Washington Wizards after the 2020–21 NBA season. When given more responsibility with the Wizards, Kuzma appeared to flourish and his fit with the Lakers came to an end. Still, Kuzma appears to be thinking back on his days with the Lakers.
In an interview, Kuzma stated that he thought Los Angeles gave up on him a bit too soon, with ALL-STAR Magazine’s Naveen Ganglani.
For sure, 100 percent. I think it’s tough because they kind of gave up on me,” Kuzma told All-Star Magazine’s Naveen Ganglani. “They gave up on that team too a little too early. Rob [Pelinka] panicked a little bit. But you know in the NBA, things happen fast, you never know what’s going to happen next.
It’s always like a revolving door so we had a tough, tough stretch so it happens.”
In a disastrous attempt to add more star power with Westbrook, the Lakers dismantled a championship team. Over the past few seasons, they have suffered as a result of losing all of their depth. It was a good split between the two sides because Kuzma probably wouldn’t have demonstrated the improvement in his overall game if he had stayed in Los Angeles.
He was able to demonstrate his abilities with Washington, and the Lakers were able to get rid of a player they had briefly considered trading.
There have been speculations about a potential reunion this offseason but so yet, nothing has come to fruition.
Bringing Kuzma back would be interesting and an indication that Los Angeles made a mistake dealing him in the first place.
Leave a Reply