Kuzma: If the Lakers hadn’t traded me, they would still be championship contenders

September 7 news, former Los Angeles Lakers player Kyle Kuzma claimed that if he were still a part of the team, the Lakers would remain championship contenders.

Recently, when asked whether the Lakers would still be competitive had he not been traded, Kuzma said, “Absolutely, one hundred percent. They kind of gave up on that team a bit too early. But in the NBA, everything happens fast. You never know what’s going to happen next; it’s a cyclical process. We went through some tough times, which is normal.”

Kuzma played his first four seasons in the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers.

In his first two seasons with the Lakers, over 147 regular-season games, he averaged 17.3 points, shooting 45.3% from the field and 33.5% from three-point range, while also contributing 5.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. However, after Davis was traded to the Lakers before the 2019-20 season, his scoring average dropped to just 12.8 points per game over the following two seasons, playing in 129 games.

Although Kuzma’s offensive role diminished during his last two seasons with the Lakers, he remained one of the key players on the team and was fortunate enough to win a championship during his tenure. In the 21 games he played during the Lakers’ 2020 championship run, Kuzma averaged 10.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 0.8 assists.

Kuzma has not played for the Lakers since the end of the 2020-21 season and currently plays for the Washington Wizards. During the 2023-24 regular season, Kuzma became one of the leading scorers for the Wizards, averaging a career-high 22.2 points per game.