Kyle Kuzma revved up speculation about a reunion with the Los Angeles Lakers with a few interesting social media messages.
Kuzma has been named a potential trade target for the Lakers this offseason. He has undoubtedly heard the rumors and fueled the speculation with a few notable messages on Monday.
The first referenced the Lakers Summer League team in 2017, which included Kuzma, Alex Caruso, Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Josh Hart.
“What a time,” Kuzma wrote in response to a post about it being the best Summer League team ever.
Kuzma continued, hinting that he’s in Los Angeles — which could simply be part of his offseason plans. However, it’s interesting with the rumor mill churning, especially considering that Kuzma is not a frequent poster on X.
The posts led to some Lakers fans calling for Kuzma to return to the team that drafted him No. 27 overall in 2017.
“Get your second ring w LBJ & AD again!” one commenter wrote.
Another added, “Come with us. We need you like air to survive. You are from home and a great talent. The true Lakers fans love you.”
Insider Anthony Irwin of Lakers Daily recently identified Kuzma among a group of players the Lakers are targeting in trade talks.
“Sources say the Lakers have held trade talks with the Portland Trail Blazers about Jerami Grant, the Brooklyn Nets about Cameron Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith, the Toronto Raptors about Bruce Brown and the Washington Wizards about Kyle Kuzma — as well as other teams and other trade targets,” Irwin wrote on July 3. “To this point, though, those are the names most closely linked to the Lakers, according to league and team sources.”
With LA striking out in free agency, bringing back Kuzma might be a move the Lakers look into.
Kuzma is coming off a career year with the Washington Wizards. He averaged 22.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists. He put up those numbers playing for a team that finished with just 15 wins, which Kuzma acknowledged.
“I’m building great habits. It’s not about scoring. It’s about the other things,” Kuzma told NBA insider Marc Stein in February. “Trying to score 25, 30 points a night on a bad team doesn’t really move me. It’s all about growth, defensive strides, helping other guys get better on the team and just improving my court presence.”
Kuzma won a ring with the Lakers in 2020, but it wasn’t always easy. As a young player, he consistently found himself linked in trade rumors and was the target of criticism when the team struggled.
“I think my time in L.A. was a blessing for me — being in the spotlight, being in front of the cameras, being the scapegoat a lot of the time. I think it really just made me have thick skin and build a sense of just blocking out noise,” Kuzma said. “Opinions of others really don’t really bother me because there’s context into everything. I’m just myself, I be myself and I know what’s important in my life.”
Now older, wiser, and more skilled, perhaps now is the time for Kuzma to shine in purple and gold.
