The Los Angeles Lakers were looking for Kyle Kuzma to take that next step in his development following the team’s championship run. Unfortunately, that never happpened and now the team is ready to move on from him.
According to a report from The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Lakers and Kings have been discussing a notable trade that would send forward Kyle Kuzma to the Kings in exchange for a package that includes Buddy Hield.
The Lakers are seeking an upgrade in the backcourt and have also been linked to free agents Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan and Spencer Dinwiddie.
Kuzma’s underwhelming year was plagued by a lack of rhythm within the offense. He signed a three-year, $40 million extension with the Lakers before the 20-21 offseason.
Kuzma averaged 12.9 points and 6.1 rebounds while starting in 32 of 68 games. He also shot at a 44.3% clip from the field and 36.1% from beyond the arc.
The Kings signed Hield to a four-year, $86 million extension in 2019. Hield is one of the premier 3-point shooters in the NBA. He finished last season second in the league in both attempts and makes and averaged 16.6 points and 4.7 rebounds in 71 starts for the Kings.
