Sports

Lakers Have Buyer’s Remorse On Russell Westbrook Trade, Reportedly Want Kyle Kuzma Back

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Kyle Kuzma takes a shot for the Wizards.

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The Los Angeles Lakers agreed to a blockbuster trade two years ago that sent Kyle Kuzma and a number of other young stars to Washington for Russell Westbrook.

The franchise is having obvious buyer’s remorse, and they reportedly want to get Kuzma back.

Westbrook’s struggles in LA have been noted over the last couple of seasons. His inconsistency on the court has led to production far below what was expected from the versatile NBA star. Russ averaged at least 20 point per game in 11 consecutive campaigns before arriving in California, twice leading the league in the category. He also three times led the NBA in assists.

He’s seen a significant dip since.

With the Lakers in 2021, Westbrook scored 18.5 points per contest, a number that’s fallen to just 14.4 in 2022. As a result, he was relegated to bench duty earlier in the season.

The flip side of that trade has been thriving in his role with the Wizards, though. Kyle Kuzma is averaging 21.4 points a night in Washington, as well as a career-high in assists. The forward is on pace for his best NBA season yet, and that success has caught the attention of the folks in Los Angeles (again).

According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, Kuzma wants out of Washington and Los Angeles is a contender to land him.

[Kuzma] could be a top five free agent this offseason… A team to monitor would be the Lakers, knowing Kuzma has championship experience playing alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Giving up a first [pick] to both part and reunite with Kuzma would fit the Lakers’ track record.

To get Kyle Kuzma back in LA, the Lakers will have to pay a pretty penny. He’s rumored to be asking for $20M a year in his next deal. Fans were quick to comment on the Los Angeles interest, and they posted reactions online.

One person said, “Some lakers fans were constantly bashing Kuzma now they want him back. Funny how that works.” Another fan wrote, “Lakers went with a win now strategy, trading away young guys, now they are talking about getting back Kuzma at double the price.”

It will be interesting to see if Los Angeles takes a shot at Kyle Kuzma this offseason.