Lakers Rumors: Proposed Trade Has LA Acquiring Old Friend To Boost Title Odds

Los Angeles desperately needs to upgrade the roster this offseason.

Sep 26, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Alex Caruso (4) celebrates with forward Kyle Kuzma (0) after scoring a basket while being fouled by the Denver Nuggets during the first half in game five of the Western Conference Finals of the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports / Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers are set to get back to the mountaintop as soon as this upcoming season. The Lakers' odds of doing just that are slim, but a trade for the right pieces may put them on that track.

It's not a foregone conclusion that the Lakers will complete a trade to be labeled contenders, but they are going to try. Names connected to the Lakers have been floated around, including Trae Young, Donovan Mitchell, and even Zach LaVine. All these players could become realistic for the Lakers, but we'll see how things develop in the next month or so. 

In the meantime, the Lakers could consider bringing back one of their former champions, Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma. One NBA executive told Heavy Sports that trading for Kuz could be in the cards. 

"Trading Kuzma, they had to do that because he wanted to be The Man, and the thing is, he got to be The Man on a team that is a long way from being good," the exec said. "But you have to hope that Kyle Kuzma has matured, that he is tired of his team getting kicked around all the time and he wants to win. They almost sent him to Dallas. So, we'll see. He can go back to the Lakers and help them win. They need a 4 (power forward) who can score a bit. He'd fit if that is what he wants."

A potential return of Kuzma is intriguing and just the kind of player the Lakers need. Kuzma was more than a dependable player for the purple and gold from 2017-21. The 28-year-old shot a career-high 36.1 percent from the field in his final season as a Laker and is a career 33.7 percent shooter from behind the arc. 

His numbers from behind the arc don't pop off the page, but one thing is certain: he knows how to play alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The price for the former Utah Ute is unknown, but it may be a lot considering how many years he's been under team control after signing a four-year, $102 million contract last offseason. 

Regardless, there's no doubting his ability on the court and how he would mesh with the team's top two players (assuming LeBron stays in L.A.). The Lakers will have their options this offseason, and Kuzma could be a realistic one. 

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