Well, it’s not a secret that Kyle Kuzma isn’t exactly a fan favorite around the NBA. Most fans don’t believe he’s that good – or good at all – and some Lakers fans stopped rooting for him last season after his big regression.
That’s ok, he’s a young player and he’s far from a finished product. Anyone can have a down year, that happens. The problem with Kuzma is that he keeps talking like he averaged 25 and 10 or was even a starter. Yes, he’s an NBA Champion and no one can take away that from him. Yes, he played big minutes off the bench, but no, he didn’t back up the talk.
Needless to say, NBA Twitter has made sure to remind him that he wouldn’t be an NBA Champion if it wasn’t for LeBron James and Anthony Davis and that he was pretty close to being traded to the New Orleans Pelicans, and that’s why he finally had enough and sent a blunt statement to his haters:
“Ight enough disrespect on my name. Y’all will be reminded,” Kuzma tweeted.
https://twitter.com/kylekuzma/status/1328471640162766850
Kuzma is reportedly looking for a ‘sizeable extension’ this offseason as he enters the final year of his rookie deal but his inconsistent play has raised some questions about his true value for the Lakers.
He’s now a trade candidate as the Lakers are unlikely to offer him a lot of money as they look to continue strengthening their roster with bona fide players. They just don’t have the time – or the touches – to develop Kuzma the way other teams could.
There’s no doubt that Kuzma is going to get paid. He’s got the youth and the upside and non-contending teams usually overpay those kinds of players in a desperate attempt to land a superstar.
Who knows? There’s still a solid chance Kuzma winds up becoming a star. But until he achieves that level, perhaps he should just focus on hooping and not talking that much.
