NBA: A bad Hollywood ending incoming for the Lakers, Kuzma

The defending champion Los Angeles Lakers had their season come to a screeching end after losing to the Phoenix Suns in Game 6 in the first round of the playoffs. With the shortened 72-game season due to the pandemic, LA was among many teams who had their year decimated by injuries. LeBron James and company had just over two months to celebrate and rest last offseason before preparing to defend a championship. The Lakers, who were burned out by fatigue and eventually undone by injuries, could have played a big role in both LeBron and Anthony Davis getting hurt multiple times.

LeBron suffered a right high ankle sprain back on May 21 against the New Orleans Pelicans. Meanwhile his running mate Davis, missed 36 games because of a strained right calf after going down against the Denver Nuggets in late February. AD then injured his groin during the postseason which contributed to LA's loss in the opening round. The Lakers management will have a lot of decisions to make this offseason, with an astonishing 11 free agents set to hit the market on August 2, featuring Andre Drummond, Dennis Schroder, Montrezl Harrell, Alex Caruso, Markieff Morris, Wesley Matthews, and Talen Horton-Tucker.

According to general manager Rob Pelinka, the Lakers offseason goal is to “keep the core together." In hindsight, that would mean prioritizing their two superstars in hopes of building another championship team around them. The path to another title starts with Los Angeles trading Kyle Kuzma this year. Kuzma re-signed a 3-year/$40 million extension for the 2021-22 season with a player option after 2022-23. According to Evan Massey, Pelinka could move Kuzma for cheap to bring in a new co-star to pair with LeBron and Davis. The Lakers need a starter to spread the floor, penetrate off the dribble, and finish at the rim.

Bradley Beal and Damian Lillard are players that could be dealt this offseason and would fit great with the superstar duo but those are both long shots. If either of them were to become available, it would likely have to be a trade demand on their part. The bottom line is since being drafted in 2017, Kuzma has been inconsistent to say the least. The organization has a recent history of trading young talent that turned out to be better than their first impression, including 2020 Most Improved Player Brandon Ingram, 2021 Most Improved Player Julius Randle, 2021 Sixth Man of the Year Jordan Clarkson, and Lonzo Ball.

A strong argument can be made that every single one of those players is currently better than Kuzma. This begs the question, could the spotlight be too bright for him? The forward averaged 12.9 points and 6.1 rebounds with the Lakers this season. He wasn't able to find a rhythm throughout the year before playing just 21.5 minutes per game in the playoffs, nearly seven minutes less than his regular season average. Los Angeles has to figure out if Kuzma fits into their long term plans and if he doesn't, Pelinka should look to pull the trigger on a trade this offseason.

The Lakers should also monitor a number of free agents this summer including DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry, Spencer Dinwiddie, Goran Dragić, Richaun Holmes, and more. In order for this group to seriously contend for another championship next year, the front office has to figure out if guys like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Drummond, and Kuzma are here to stay, in addition to replacing a number of free agents. With that said, the most important offseason goal has to be getting LeBron and Davis back to 100%. If those two are able to stay on the floor, LA will likely be in contention once again.

Photo Credit: Lakers Daily.