Kyle Kuzma Ditches Lakers in Latest Cryptic Move

Young Kyle Kuzma first delivered a big warning for his current team and now he ditches the Los Angeles Lakers. Sort of.

The talented player removed the Lakers from his Instagram profile, and everyone is talking about his future with the franchise.

Kuzma didn’t deliver in the postseason and there are too many trade rumors surrounding him. He signed a three-year contract extension worth $40 million and it will be hard to trade him due to the poison pill restriction that comes with the new contract.

Dennis Schroder did the same before the Lakers got eliminated from the playoffs. Fans aren’t really confident about his return to the floor.

Kyle Kuzma ditches the Los Angeles Lakers after a bad postseason

Kuzma averaged 12.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assists last season. He became a good defensive asset for LA and hit his 3-pointers at a 36% clip last season. However, this number dropped to 17.4% in the postseason. The Lakers player averaged just 6.3 points and 3.8.

“Obviously I can’t speak for everyone but, you know, it was a tough series particularly for me, shooting the ball, after having probably a career year shooting the three this year for me,” Kuzma said during his exit interview. “You know, it’s just tough, ending the season that way after putting in a lot of work and being confident in that but, you know, it’s always beauty in the struggle and ugliness in success.

“So, I am just really excited to attack this summer and continue to get better. It’s just unfortunate, maybe if we hit a few shots and we don’t have injuries, we’re not having this conversation right. But that’s the name of the game and that’s what life dictated for us.”

Kuzma is 25 and he is the longest-tenured player on the Lakers. The team selected him in 2017 and gave him a big role. His career year came in 2018-19 and he was averaging 33 minutes and 19 points per game. LA finished 37-45 that year.

What happens next?

His role changed once Anthony Davis joined the team. Kuzma feels like he’s played “winning” basketball this season. Moreover, he is convinced that he helped the team win.

“I’ve been here the longest,” Kuzma said, per Silver Screen and Roll. “I’ve been through a bunch of different eras here: a rebuilding stage, LeBron’s first years here and figuring out how to win championships, and then this year. So, I’ve seen a lot, been through a lot, wore a lot of different hats during my tenure here, and I’m excited to see what the future brings for us this offseason.

“Only speaking for myself, I think this year I made incredible strides becoming a winning player, making the right play, being a real, valuable asset on the defensive end and I’ve got a lot of growth in me. I can’t wait to get there.”