Now that Kyle Kuzma has survived another offseason filled with trade rumors and will become a restricted free agent next season, it’s time for the Lakers to reopen discussions about extending his rookie contract.
It’s obvious the Lakers still think highly of Kuzma and were only willing to give him up in a mega trade for a proven All-Star player like Jrue Holiday so the smart move now would be to invest in his future by extending him. Signing Kyle to an extension before the season starts would accomplish three important objectives: bolster his confidence as a player, increase his value as a trading chip, and reinforce the team’s chemistry and culture.
1. Bolster His Confidence as a Player.
While Kyle Kuzma always seems to play with confidence, it can’t be easy trying to find a role on a team where two of the league’s top five players play your same positions and you’re the constant subject of trade rumors. Watching former Laker teammates who were traded like Brandon Ingram enjoy breakout seasons and receive contract extensions from their new teams has to try Kyle’s patience and start to undermine his self-assurance.
Signing Kuzma to a 3-year extension for $12 to $15 million per year could bolster his confidence and enable Kyle to turn himself into the third star LeBron James said the Lakers needed to win the championship last season. Knowing the Lakers believed in him could be the key to giving Kuzma the confidence to improve his subpar 3-point shooting percentage to the level he needs to enjoy the breakout season everyone’s been eagerly awaiting.
Kuzma has steadily improved his overall game as a Laker, especially his defense against elite wing scorers like Harden. Signing him to an extension would bolster his confidence and be a smart investment by the Lakers.
2. Increase His Value as a Trading Chip
Signing Kuzma to a 3-year extension would immediately increase his value as a trading chip and enable the Lakers to receive fair value in a straight trade for a comparable player or in an aggregate trade for a third superstar. Receiving fair value for a talented player on a rookie contract a year from free agency is a challenge. Signing Kuzma to an extension would eliminate those concerns and give the Lakers another valuable mid-priced contract.
The extension alone would not only confirm the Lakers’ belief in Kuzma but also establish a solid floor to his value and remove the stigma the team did not truly value him and was trying to trade him instead of re-signing him. Perception is reality when it comes to valuing players in trade talks and the act of extending Kuzma by itself would increase his value as a trading chip and give the Lakers a valuable future contract for matching salaries.
For a young player with Kuzma’s potential to have trade value, the Lakers need to show confidence in him by extending him. Investing in him is the best way to increase his value as player and creating future flexibility.
3. Reinforce Team Chemistry and Culture.
One of the strengths of the Lakers as a team and big reason they won the 2020 NBA championship was the strong chemistry and culture Rob Pelinka and the front office and Frank Vogel and coaching staff were able to build. Frankly, that’s an amazing accomplishment that defies reality considering LeBron James and Anthony Davis are the only players on the team assured of a long term future while almost every other player is on a short term deal.
The key to the Lakers’ great chemistry and culture is how they treat and respect their players. That’s why even players who are traded have nothing but positive things to say about the Lakers’ management and organization. The Los Angeles Lakers do the right thing when it comes to their players and always consider them to be part of the family. They understand that’s how smart teams build true championship caliber chemistry and culture
Kyle Kuzma has listened to his coaches and subjugated his personal game for the team and deserves to be rewarded for it. Investing in him by signing him to a fair extension would reinforce the Lakers’ chemistry and culture.
The financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic has halted the rapid annual salary cap increases many teams, like the Lakers, had embraced as their core strategy to pursue superstars like Giannis Antetokounmpo. Suddenly, trades and sign-and-trades have emerged as the better strategies for building championship rosters and chasing superstars as the league struggles to find a way to succeed in an era where arenas are still empty.
Collecting multiple talented young and veteran players on tradable contracts has suddenly become the smart team building strategy. The Lakers should sign Kyle Kuzma to a $12 to $15 million extension before the season starts.
Many thanks to Michael H. for raising this important subject in the comments. I thought it important enough to want to write this article. I think there are three solid reasons why he Laker should extend Kuz: bolster his confidence, increase his trade value, and reinforce the Lakers chemistry and culture>
The key to this and any moves the Lakers make is of course the cost. While you don’t want to overpay a player, the simple act of extending them can impact their perceived value around the league. I’ve suggested a $12 to $15 million 3-year extension for Kyle, which I think would be perceived a fair value for both him and the Lakers. He might prefer to wait until free agency where he might get more. Would I go as high as $18 million? Probably not. $15 million seems like a fair ceiling for Kuzma at this time.
Chime in with your takes and opinions. Should the Lakers extend Kuz? If so, for how much? Thanks for reading and commenting.
Aloha Tom, thanks for the shout out. I would add one thing. At 25 he is still developing and will continue to get better. It will not take a lot of improvement to become a 20 mil quality player. At 12 to 15 mil he could be a real bargain moving forward.
You’re welcome, Michael. And thanks again for bringing up the subject. One of the unique things about Lakerholics is the quality of original content that comes via the comments. While I’m proud of the original articles and podcasts we create specifically for the site, I’ve often said the comments on the blog are the real attraction that makes this a second home for Lakers fans.
Thanks for the article, Tom. I have observed from afar the situation that Kyle Kuzma has been in for the past few seasons for a while and it all boils down to one main thing: confidence. It’s extremely hard for any young player to find any solid footing when there are constant trade rumors swirling over your head. That’s why I completely agree with your first reason: Bolster his confidence as a player. Where there is confidence there is going to be good production. The constant barrage of trade rumours can be very stressful and devastating for a player mentally and thereby hinder his development. Playing stress-free unleashes a player’s full potential. That’s why Brandon Ingram and DeAngelo Russell had breakout seasons and became all-stars right after leaving the Lakers.
As for Kusma, his situation is two-pronged. First he has to deal with the reality of playing alongside two superstars while playing almost the same position as LeBron and AD. Then comes another reality of not really having enough minutes that would result in a leap in production. The good thing is he’s learning to improve his overall game in other areas which will pay dividends as the season goes on. For now, he’s a true survivor and I’m glad we still have him.
Kyle is a negative offensive player. The Lakers currently have 3 of them on the roster: Caruso, Matthews and Kuzma.
Kuzma’s PER for his career, for a high is 14.2. Perspective: 15 is considered average.
So the stats in this case bear the truth: Kuzma, is a below average offensive player. Below average offensive players don’t make 10+ on any roster unless you’re an all-nba defender, which he is not.
Kuzma is 6’8 and hasn’t averaged more than 4.5 rebounds for a career. Again, below average for a guy trying to get a big contract.
Lakers are gonna do what they’re gonna do…However, if you’re going to give up financial flexibility…it has to be justified for an offensively + not – player. Kuzma’s average and you don’t waste flexibility with average.
having a hard time understanding how Caruso is a neg player,…. I love what I see!!!!
Remember, there was a time some Lakers fans on social media were trying to say Kuzma was every bit the offensive machine Jayson Tatum has become. While most of us who watch the games laughed uncontrollably.
Thanks for commenting, Sean
The issue is really not whether Kyle deserves an extension or not. It’s about what’s best for the team. Last season the Lakers lacked trading chips to be a player. This year, they will have three great trading chips: Schroder $15M, Trezz $10m, KCP $12M. They could be a big player if Giannis or another star wants out, especially players with expiring contracts.
Extending Kuzma will give the Lakers another big trading chip come this summer. A player is worth what a team is willing to pay for him. Extend him to a reasonable contract and there’s a good chance he’ll outperform it. And if he doesn’t, it’s just because he’s not ready or the situation is not right. Lakers need to talk it into existence. How Kyle performs will determine whether the Lakers overpaid or not.