Lakers could reunite with NBA champion wing, former No. 27 overall pick

Could the Los Angeles Lakers be bringing back a talented forward who won a title with the team in 2020?

The Lakers will be tinkering with their roster around LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the coming months as they look to enter contention status again.

Virtually everyone outside of James and Davis is on the table, which makes the Lakers a worthy trading partner for teams in all situations, even the lowly Washington Wizards.

Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes recently suggested that Washington’s Kyle Kuzma could find himself wearing purple and gold again soon. As the Lakers toy with the idea of trading for Zach LaVine or Michael Porter Jr., they might also consider Kuzma as a less expensive option at the wing.

“Kuzma would come cheaper than either LaVine or Porter Jr. and, in the distant past, showed more defensive oomph than either of them,” Hughes said.

“His declining contract slips all the way to $19.4 million in the final year, 2026-27, and the cost in outgoing personnel (aka matching salary) would likely be lower for the Lakers. Kuzma is set to earn $23.5 million this coming season, $19 million less than LaVine.”

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