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NBA Trades: 3 takeaways from Russell Westbrook Lakers-Wizards trade

By Lance Legere

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 22: Montrezl Harrell #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers loses possession of the ball against Russell Westbrook #4, Bradley Beal #3 and Deni Avdija #9 of the Washington Wizards during the fourth quarter at Staples Center on February 22, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 22: Montrezl Harrell #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers loses possession of the ball against Russell Westbrook #4, Bradley Beal #3 and Deni Avdija #9 of the Washington Wizards during the fourth quarter at Staples Center on February 22, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) /
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Lakers, Russell Westbrook (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Lakers, Russell Westbrook (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

Takeaways from Russell Westbrook trade to Lakers: 2. Kyle Kuzma looks for a bigger role in Washington

After a promising first two seasons in a Lakers uniform, Kyle Kuzma could never quite find his footing within the Lakers rotation that past two years.

Although Kuzma was a solid rotation player during the Lakers 2020 title run, he never was an offensive focal point like he was his first two seasons in the league.

His career-high 15.5 field goal attempts per game in the 2018-19 season dipped to 11.0 in 2019-20 and 11.1 in 2020-21. Kuzma also averaged a career-high 18.7 points per game in the same 2018-19 season, and those numbers fell to 12.8 ppg in 2019-20 and 12.9 ppg in 2020-21.

When did Kuzma start to see a dip in numbers you may ask? All when a certain player by the name of LeBron James joined the team in 2018. Kuzma benefited from an injury-riddled season from LeBron in his first go-around with the Lakers, but since then he has not had the same impact he once did.

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Kuzma was the lone piece left out of the blockbuster Anthony Davis trade that took place in the offseason heading into the 2019-20 season. It appeared that the Lakers were still high on Kuzma’s ability to contribute and thought he would be a great fit alongside the new superstar duo.

While Kuzma showed glimpses of what he still had and what he could become, there were never enough opportunities for him to show his true potential alongside LeBron and Davis.

This trade was the best-case scenario for Kuzma. The 26-year old forward is presented with an opportunity to be a top-scoring option on a Wizards team that has pieces to work with for the future.

While the roster features Bradley Beal (for now anyway), they have young players in Rui Hachimura, Deni Avdija, Daniel Gafford, and newly drafted Corey Kispert as good foundational pieces to build around.

Kuzma can step in right away and be a go-to player for this team and help them fight for consecutive trips to the playoffs.

While this move buys Kuzma more time to prove himself, it also counters with more pressure to prove that he can be the player he once was only a few years ago.

Confidence is the most important thing for a player to have in the NBA, and Kuzma will have a great opportunity in Washington to regain just that.

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