The fact that LeBron James has already agreed to a max contract extension likely means that the Los Angeles Lakers probably won’t be able to sign a big name via free agency. All hope is not lost in terms of bringing in a key recruit this summer, though. It’s just that LA will now likely have to take the trade route to get this done.
Washington Wizards star Kyle Kuzma has now emerged as a trade target for the Lakers, along with four other names that could be heading to Hollywood soon.
Los Angeles Lakers Linked to Kyle Kuzma Reunion
![Los Angeles Lakers: Kyle Kuzma Among 5 Players LA Has Held Trade Talks For 1 Minnesota Timberwolves, Anthony Edwards, Los Angeles Lakers, Anthony Davis](https://www.hardwoodheroics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/USATSI_22657283_168400517_lowres-scaled.jpg)
The Wizards are reportedly open to dealing Kuzma at the right price, so it now become a matter of LA negotiating a win-win trade scenario with Washington. The Lakers’ leverage, though, is that Kuz is but one of multiple candidates the front office is currently considering.
Team insider Anthony Irwin of Lakers Daily spilled the beans in a recent report:
“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 Wasington Wizards about Kyle Kuzma — as well as other teams and other trade targets. To this point, though, those are the names most closely linked to the Lakers, according to league and team sources,” Irwin wrote.
![Los Angeles Lakers: Kyle Kuzma Among 5 Players LA Has Held Trade Talks For 2 USATSI 22620260 168400517 lowres](https://www.hardwoodheroics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/USATSI_22620260_168400517_lowres.jpg)
That’s a pretty substantial shortlist, but there’s no denying that Kuzma — outside perhaps of Jerami Grant — is the name that pops out. It also works in his favor that Kuz has had a previous stint with the Lakers and that he’s also already played alongside LeBron (and won a championship, too).
Be that as it may, the Lakers will still be doing their due diligence on the five players on their list as they search for the best deal available out there.
![Los Angeles Lakers: Kyle Kuzma Among 5 Players LA Has Held Trade Talks For 3 Oklahoma City Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander](https://www.hardwoodheroics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/USATSI_22231220-scaled.jpg)
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