Lakers: Ranking best assets that can be traded for a superstar
By John Buhler
Los Angeles Lakers. SF. Kyle Kuzma. 2. player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. 20
Kyle Kuzma is the most likely player to be traded by the Lakers this summer
If the Lakers are going to send someone the other way in a deal for a third star player, one would think Kyle Kuzma has played his last game in Los Angeles uniform. He is under contract at $13 million for the next two seasons, plus a player-option for 2023-24. So the Lakers would be trading a veteran forward entering his prime who won’t be hitting free agency until his late 20s.
The problem with trading Kuzma is he will not be enough to seal the deal on his own. He will be entering his fifth season out of Utah next fall, so he is closer to the player he is going to be rather than still being a high-end trade piece based on raw potential. Kuzma is capable of starting games, but he is more of a sixth man coming off the bench on a playoff-caliber team at this point in time.
This is why if the Lakers are able to trade for a third star, Kuzma and a future first-round pick will be the likely genesis of that trade package. Given that Kuzma is only in his mid-20s, he could improve as a player and evolve in a new system. However, he is not expected to become the All-Star the other team would be trading to the Lakers in a deal to get him. They will need to get more.
Kuzma for a third star is not happening, but he and a future draft pick could initiate the big trade.